Popular doctor starts second stint as chairman of Horsham District Council

Kate Rowbottom was replaced by Dr David Skipp during a meeting of the full council on Wednesday (May 24), having replaced him in the role a year ago.

Mrs Rowbottom, who did not stand for re-election, said the position of chairman was ‘in safe hands’ with Dr Skipp.

Looking back over the highs and lows of the past year, she added: “I was surprised and disappointed at the election results, but the electorate of Horsham district clearly felt it was time for a change.”

Giving her best wishes to new leader Martin Boffey and his fellow Liberal Democrat councillors, she said they had always treated her with the ‘utmost respect and courtesy – which has not always been the case with some of my own colleagues’.

Her final words to the gathered councillors were for them to ‘work together, listen to each other and treat each other with courtesy and respect’.

After accepting the chains of office from Mrs Rowbottom, Dr Skipp praised her as being ‘calm and cheerful’ – even under some stressful personal circumstances – and ‘an excellent chairperson’.

Conservative leader Philip Circus said Dr Skipp was an ‘excellent choice’ for chairman.

With a light-hearted dig at ongoing shortages with GP care, he added: “It does come to a pretty pass, if you ask me, where the only way we can come face-to-face with a doctor is to appoint one as chairman of Horsham District Council.”