Deputy Mayor, Councillor Ken Smith JP

On the evening of Wednesday 19th May 2010, Councillor Chrissie Hitchcock, Mayor for the 2010/2011 municipal year, chose Councillor Ken Smith JP to be her Deputy Mayor and his wife, Mrs Madeleine Smith, is the Deputy Mayoress.

Councillor Ken Smith JP, is no stranger to public service, being a former magistrate and JP. He also has a proud background in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, having been a regular soldier in the Airborne Regiment spending most of his service overseas, and is currently Chairman of the Parachute Regiment Association of the Croydon Branch covering SW London, Kent, and Surrey. He is also a member of the New Malden Royal British Legion and a member of the Surbiton PROBUS Club. A local activist for twenty years, he finally decided to enter elected politics four years ago.

Born in Bath Somerset and evacuated to Wales during the War, he was employed for 31years in the field of metallurgy . Before retirement, he worked in management at a multi national company

The Deputy Mayor has pledged his support to the Mayor’s charities, Cairns House, (part of the Kaleidoscope Project) and Fircroft, supported by Mind. He vowed to represent the people of the Royal Borough with pride and dignity, adding ‘I feel honoured to find myself in this privileged position and look forward to representing the residents of the Royal Borough. I’m also eager, along with members of the Conservative Group, to support the Mayor’s charities, all of which do excellent work in our community.’