Yvonne Mosquito
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Yvonne Mosquito | |
|---|---|
 Mosquito in 2019 | |
| West Midlands Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner | |
| In office 2012–2016 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Ashley Bertie |
| 109th Lord Mayor of Birmingham | |
| In office May 2018 – May 2019 | |
| Deputy | Ken Woods |
| Preceded by | Anne Underwood |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Azim |
| Member of the Birmingham City Council for Nechells (1996-2018), Bordesley & Highgate | |
| In office 2 May 1996 – 6 May 2026 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 December 1964 Birmingham, England |
| Party | Labour |
Yvonne Mosquito (born 19 December 1964) is a British politician who served as the 109th Lord Mayor of Birmingham between 2018 and 2019 for the Labour Party. She has served as a member of Birmingham City Council from 1996, currently for the ward of Bordesley and Highgate and until 2018 for the ward of Nechells. Mosquito also served as West Midlands Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner between 2012 and 2016, until a suspension in March 2016 after visiting the family of a murder victim.
Mosquito was born in Balsall Heath and worked at a Saturday school in Handsworth. She then worked for a double glazing company and in the early 1990s worked with young people to help them further their opportunities. In 1996 she was elected to Birmingham City Council as a Labour Party councillor. She is also an ordained minister.[1]
West Midlands Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner
Having been a Labour Councillor since 1996, in 2012 Mosquito was made the first West Midlands Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner when the position was established. She served under fellow Labour Councillor Bob Jones, who said following his recommendation that "she brings a wealth of experience as a councillor, police authority member and community campaigner".[2] Following Jones' death in 2014, Mosquito became acting Commissioner, and in June 2014, when David Jamieson was elected as the new Commissioner, Jamieson announced that Mosquito would keep her job as deputy Commissioner.[3][4]
In March 2016 Mosquito was immediately suspended from her role after visiting the family of 18-year-old murder victim Kenichi Phillips, thereby breaching protocol.[5] She confirmed she had been suspended by writing: "I can confirm that David Jamieson, the Police and Crime Commissioner, has suspended me. I strenuously deny all of the allegations."[6] However, it was revealed at the end of March that four weeks prior to her suspension, Mosquito had issued a (non formal) complaint about Jamieson's behaviour towards her. The union representing her, Unite, issued a statement at the time saying they were "appalled that information that should be private and confidential as part of the disciplinary process has been put into the public domain".[7]
In April, Maxie Hayes, a human rights activist, criticised Mosquito's suspension as "heavy-handed" and argued she visited the family as "an ordained minister giving condolences to a grieving family" rather than in her official capacity.[8] In May, a disciplinary hearing found that Mosquito committed "serious misconduct" and asked that she apologise to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, West Midlands Police, and Phillips's family. Mosquito officially left her post in May.[9][10] In December, Mosquito took Jamieson to an employment tribunal which was scheduled for May the following year; however, the tribunal did not take place after Mosquito allegedly received a payout.[11][12]