Cllr Stephen Holroyd has been confirmed as the 132nd Lord Mayor of Leeds, becoming part of the first openly gay couple to hold the offices of Lord Mayor and Lord Mayor's Consort in the city's history.
Cllr Holroyd, who represents the Ardsley and Robin Hood ward and was elected to Leeds City Council in 2023, was appointed at the council's annual general meeting on 20 May.
He will be joined throughout his mayoral year by his partner, Simon Mapals, who manages one of Leeds's most established LGBTQ+ venues.
Originally from Wakefield, Cllr Holroyd has a background in hospitality and finance and serves as a governor at Thorpe Primary School. He has nominated MESMAC, the LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing charity, and St Gemma's Hospice, Yorkshire's largest hospice, as his two chosen charities for the year.
‘Leeds is an incredibly diverse city,’ said Cllr Holroyd, ‘and I’m looking forward to getting out into our communities and meeting as many people as possible, making new friends and drawing people together through celebrating our differences while embracing what binds us together as a city.’
The new Lord Mayor’s Consort, Simon Mapals, said: ‘I’m very honoured to become the Lord Mayor’s Consort and to support Stephen in his mayoral duties throughout the coming year.
‘I really look forward to meeting the incredible and diverse communities of our city and making new friends along the way.’
