Mayor's Office

Mayor and Mayoress 2023

The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Newport

Councillor Trevor Watkins is the 391st Mayor of Newport.

Trevor was born and bought up in Newport. He has held various positions throughout his career - including completing an apprenticeship and managing a public house in Neath as well as managing The Artful Dodger in Clarence Place.

Over the last twenty years Trevor has worked in the security industry as a training manager and HR manager for a national company.

Trevor is now retired and has a daughter Catherine and a granddaughter. He has a number of hobbies which include gardening, stamp collecting and working on his American car. 

Trevor has also enjoyed working with the Tredegar Park community, The Friends of Tredegar House and the Duffryn Community Link.

Since being first elected to the Council in 2004, Trevor has been on three scrutiny committees, planning, social services, education, and democratic services. He is Chair of the Governors at Tredegar Park Primary School and a governor of John Frost School. 

Trevor said “It is a privilege to be selected as Mayor of Newport with my daughter as Mayoress. We are looking forward to meeting many of the citizens of Newport and promoting the businesses in the city.    

Mayor’s Charity 2023/24

Motor Neurone Disease Association

The South East Wales branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association has been providing support for people with the condition and their families in the region for over 20 years.

Care is provided to people living within Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and within certain areas of South and Mid Powys.

The charity has 3 main aims:

  • To improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers.
  • To fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments and brings us closer to a cure for MND.
  • To campaign and raise awareness of the needs of people with MND, and those who care for them, so that they are recognised and addressed by wider society.

The local branch achieves this by providing accurate, professional, accessible information and practical day-to-day support to enable people with MND to live with their diagnosis and achieve the best quality of life possible through funding.

More information on the work of the Motor Neurone Disease Association can be found on their website.

Growing Space

Growing Space is a registered mental health charity which was founded in 1992.  It recognises that social exclusion is often experienced by people with mental ill health and works to build confidence, develop social skills and improve their quality of life.

Covering areas in Gwent, Cardiff, and the Vale of Glamorgan, the charity specialises in supporting people with mental ill health, autism or a learning disability. 

This is done through the provision of therapeutic training, vocational skills, creativity and work experience. 


For many of their participants, engagement is one of many steps towards voluntary work, sustainable job opportunities, or further education more information can be found on thier website.

Deputy Mayor 2023/24

Councillor Pat Drewett will hold the position of Deputy Mayor for the forthcoming year.

Pat was born and brought up on the Gaer estate in Newport.

After a long career as a primary school teacher, he now serves as a governor at St. Woolos Primary School and St. Joseph’s R.C. High School.

Pat is a strong advocate for Newport’s rich heritage, he was a founding member and now life president of local charity, Our Chartist Heritage. 

Pat is also a keen supporter of the work of the Welsh Refugee Council which recognises asylum seekers and refugees. z

Pat says, “I am very proud of my Newport roots and I feel so very privileged to have been given the task of serving the citizens of Newport as their Deputy Mayor which I will try do with integrity, and in honour of my late wife, Joan, and of all my family.”  

Inviting the mayor to an event

The mayor has a civic duty to represent and promote the city of Newport. Part of the role involves attending events which support and celebrate local people and raise the profile of the city.

To invite the mayor to an event, please complete the online invitation form.

Alternatively please complete the invitation form (doc) and return it to [email protected] as early as possible (minimum of three weeks in advance). 

Please note that the mayor has a busy schedule and it is not always possible to attend events at short notice.

Protocol and advice

The mayor is Newport's first citizen and has a high profile role in maintaining and promoting the interests of the city and its people. 

The Local Government Act 1972 states that as Chairman of the City Council, the mayor shall have precedence in the district over all but members of the Royal Family or the Lord Lieutenant, representing the Royal Family.

When inviting the mayor to an event it is essential that the organiser of the event (or nominated person) accompanies the mayor for the whole time.

The correct title for introducing the mayor and mayoress is 'The Right Worshipful, the Mayor of Newport' and the 'Mayoress of Newport'. 

After initial introductions it is correct to address them as Mr Mayor and Madam Mayoress.

In formal seating arrangements (dinners etc.) the mayor should be seated on the immediate right of the host/chairperson.

The only exception to this would be if the Lord Lieutenant were present in his official capacity as the Queen's representative, or a member of the Royal Family in which case they would be given precedence over the mayor.

During the term of office the mayor is non-political and is unable to attend or become involved in any contentious issues.  

The role of mayor

The Mayor of Newport is elected by order of seniority and holds office for a year, the seniority list (pdf) shows how long members have served. 

The mayor is elected at the annual council meeting.

Article 5 (pdf) of the council’s Constitution offers more information on the role and function of mayor.

Read about the mayoral Chains of Office

Past mayors

Newport’s first mayor, Mr Ralph Dery, is recorded as taking up office in 1314.

The role was then left unrecorded until 1401, when Roger Thomas held office. Over the years several mayors have held office for more than one term.

One of Newport's most famous mayors was John Frost in 1836, who, less than four years later, was condemned to death for treason for his part in the Chartist uprising.

This sentence was commuted to transportation for life and in 1856 he was given a full pardon and returned to Newport.

The Newport Past website lists the names and dates of former mayors of Newport. 

Contact

The Mayor’s Parlour, Newport City Council, Civic Centre, Newport
NP19 4UR
Telephone: (01633) 656656

Email: [email protected]