Pat Bruce-Browne elected as Ipswich's first Black gay female mayor

Why it matters: Bruce-Browne, who represents the Whitton ward and previously served as deputy mayor, described the moment as "making history" and said her parents – who came to Britain from Barbados and Antigua during the Windrush era – "would have been brimming with pride."

Councillor Cathy Frost, the ward member for Hollywells, has been appointed as deputy mayor.

The details: Bruce-Browne, who was born and raised in London, moved to Ipswich in 2014. Before entering politics, she set up a club for LGBT people of colour in London and has since become a well-known community figure in the town, founding the Ipswich Reggae Choir and volunteering across a number of local projects. She is also a DJ on Ipswich Community Radio (ICR).

During her mayoral year, she will raise money for ActivLives and BME Suffolk Support Group.

What they're saying: Speaking after her election, Bruce-Browne said: "I will work hard to encourage tolerance, acceptance and inclusion for all, and to make everyone who calls Ipswich their home proud to do so."

She paid tribute to her parents, saying: "They came to make a better life for themselves and to help sustain the British economy after the Second World War. My parents would have been brimming with pride and a sense of achievement to see me now being elected as mayor of a town as fantastic as Ipswich."

Outgoing mayor Stefan Long, and one of the youngest people to hold the role in 200 years, congratulated his successor, saying: "I'm not sure exactly how many events you have attended, but it's certainly far more than most deputy mayors would have attended."

He added: "Ipswich is a town that cares — it's a town that shows up for one another."

The bottom line: With her election, Pat Bruce-Browne makes history as Ipswich's first Black gay female mayor, with a promise to champion tolerance, acceptance and inclusion for all.

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