There was a hint of genuine regret at the mayor-making ceremony on Wednesday night.

It was not that the mayor, Ted Baker, was not a fit person for the office for Medway's First Citizen.

It was because the gentlemen's agreement to keep the office above politics no longer exists.

The system developed at Gillingham more than 30 years ago was a way to get rid of the rows that are once again developing over who should have the honour. Each group started without a single point. Come the election they would have a point for each member that was elected. The group with the biggest total then selected the mayor to represent the Towns… and promptly dropped back to a position of nil points.

Twelve months on, the number of councillors then in each group would be added to the total left after the mayor had been picked. Whichever group then had the majority would chose the next mayor - and drop back to zero points.

It meant that each group got their chance based on what the electorate had chosen.

If it restarted this year (which of course it hasn't) it would mean that the Tories would have the mayoralty this year and next - the prized Diamond Jubilee year - and Labour would follow the year after.

Instead whether or not they intended it to be that way, the mayoralty is squarely a political issue, decided by the majority party.

That in turn means it is inevitable there will be an alternative candidate promoted by the opposition. In this case their choice was Ted Baker's successor in 2003, Nick Bowler.

His chairmanship of the council, his laid-back way of treating the arguments and pouring soothing oil on the vitriol, is still remembered with great pleasure by all who sat before him.

***

Not that being mayor is an easy task.

Apart from keeping the warring factions apart in council meetings, the councillor chosen to be the mayor has to attend on average 16 events a week including at least one school trip.

For the councillor's partner that means being pitched into a limelight they might have sought for years to avoid.

It also opens up the world of temptations - of too much to eat, too many nibbles, a few slurps… One mayor I knew always started out with the highest of aspirations to stay fit, avoid too many meals and so on. Each time he failed spectacularly. He was the perfect demonstration of why we larger people are said to have corporations…

***

There is usually a guessing game in the local newsrooms as to who will be mayor.

For three years the Conservatives used up their stock of Davids - Royle, Carr and most recently Brake.

One argument was they would return to the beginning and select David Royle once again.

Instead Ted Baker emerged from the selection process as their choice for high office.

None of us saw there was still a direct link back to the previous mayor.

Baker is an anagram of Brake…

***

The Cabinet has seen one or two changes, the most notable of which was the appointment of David Brake to take over Tom Mason's adult services portfolio. Tom moved to tackle corporate matters.

Elsewhere some of the work carried out by the former councillor, Janice Bamber, has been shared among the cabinet members.

It is still 10 members strong, but that is neither surprising nor illogical.

After all, we are talking of a board of 10 specialist directors running a business with a turnover approaching a billion pounds a year.

***

Throughout all Wednesday night's fun and games there was no mention from the Conservatives of City status - nor of the fact that the council had handed in the bid papers.

There is an section of the community that doesn't agree with Medway becoming a city.

The majority of them continue to demand Rochester should be reappointed a city.

The trouble is that the government made it very clear that favourite towns like Rochester or Lichfield could not be nominated. Only councils could nominate - and it had to be the entire administrative area.

Consequently Medway's bid was the correct one, and no matter how many people bleat and complain about the rights and wrongs of Rochester's demise, the bid has been made according to the rules.

The reception in the House of Commons was officially sponsored by Rehman Chishti, councillor and MP for Gillingham and Rainham.

He treated me to a pot of coffee in the Pugin Room before the event, but he didn't fork out for the reception (equally sober and just as pleasant) in Dining Room No 1.

Nor did the council, well aware of the allegations of "high costs", "waste" and so on..

Instead, the cost was met by one of the many companies backing the bid - in this case the French-owned Veolia, Medway's rubbish collectors.

When it comes to troubled areas, Medway's housing has had more than its fair share of problems.

Everyone thought the problems had been solved - until last week.

That was when four members of staff (three of them long-term housing personnel) were suddenly suspended, and escorted from Gun Wharf.

The first most staff knew that there was another problem was an email advising them that the following day's retirement party had been suspended - because the person who was leaving was among the quartet who had been escorted out.

The full story is in today's Medway Messenger.

It makes sorry reading

• for those who had worked hard to turn around the department
• for those who are under suspicion of a potential fiddle involving homeless people
• for those who respected and looked up to them, and
• for those who trust the council to help them through difficult times.

The private sector housing team has been rocked by the suspicions that have been aroused. While nothing has been proved at this stage, investigations are going on and the police could yet be called in.

***

For the first time in three years biscuits were provided at the start of the start of the Children and Adults scrutiny committee last night.

Behind it was Cllr David Royle, the chairman, who provided the biscuits last time.

Both times it was because he was celebrating his birthday.

Pity this time was that no one realised - because they were all concerned about tackling obesity among the children of Medway.

A malicious rumour has it has it that the real reason the free nibbles were cancelled was because the finance portfolio holder, Cllr Alan Jarrett, was starting to gain a corporation - and his wife demanded they were cancelled so that he couldn't be tempted.

If only all things were so simple.

One major fact today is that the Medway Messenger is joining the campaign to get City status for Medway.
It is ridiculous that our go-ahead community has not had city status from the start.
It is among the biggest conurbations in the country.
It is spending £6 billion to revive the infrastructure, transform the shopping centre, improve public transport and attract business here.
Oxford is a city and has only two universities.
Medway is not a city and has four universities.
Some would argue that we lost city status for Rochester, but so did Perth - and they are making a bid to regain it.
We should build upon the achievements of our past. History is wonderful, but it cannot be allowed to be everything to the exclusion of the future.
The plans for transforming Lodge Hill and the military areas around Chattenden will preserve key parts of the historic remains.
It will open up traditional views that only troops have seen for more than a century.
It cannot be an expensive campaign. No one would blame anyone who criticised it if it overspent.
This will be a Budget Bid. The council has already started by motivating staff to take on the publicity work in their own time at no extra cost.
It will unite the five towns in a way that was projected with the creation of the unitary authority - but didn't.
It will put us on the map.
It will not destroy the towns' identities.
The five towns have been merging together for decades. That has not killed their individual identities, loyalties and supporters.
Nor should the City of medway.
The City of Medway will be unique. Not Five Towns but One City of five towns and numerous villages.
When it comes to troubled areas, Medway's housing has had more than its fair share of problems.
Everyone thought the problems had been solved - until last week.
That was when four members of staff (three of them long-term housing personnel) were suddenly suspended, and escorted from Gun Wharf.
The first most staff knew that there was another problem was an email advising them that the following day's retirement party had been suspended - because the person who was leaving was among the quartet who had been escorted out.
The full story is in today's Medway Messenger.
It makes sorry reading
 for those who had worked hard to turn around the department
 for those who are under suspicion of a potential fiddle involving homeless people
 for those who respected and looked up to them, and
 for those who trust the council to help them through difficult times.
The private sector housing team has been rocked by the suspicions that have been aroused. While nothing has been proved at this stage, investigations are going on and the police could yet be called in.
***
For the first time in three years, biscuits were provided at the start of the start of the Children and Adults scrutiny committee last night.
Behind it was Cllr David Royle, the chairman, who provided the biscuits last time.
Both times it was because he was celebrating his birthday.
Pity this time was that no one realised - because they were all concerned about tackling obesity among the children of Medway.
A malicious rumour has it has it that the real reason the free nibbles were cancelled was because the finance portfolio holder, Cllr Alan Jarrett, was starting to gain a corporation - and his wife demanded they were cancelled so that he couldn't be tempted.
If only all things were so simple.