A British teacher has been elected as the mayor of a small town in Mallorca.
Richard Thompson, 52, originally from West Sussex, will now head up the administration of Sant Joan – and jokes that his first act will be to have a kettle installed in his office.
Mr Thompson moved to the town of 2,000 people in the centre of Majorca with his wife, who comes from the island, nine years ago.
He previously served as a councillor for four years and now will serve as the first British mayor in the Balearic Islands.
Although he does not have Spanish citizenship, he was eligible to stand as mayor for the socialist Mes per Mallorca party because he has residency in Mallorca.
Speaking to the Guardian, he attributed his success to a strong campaign – and to his long-running enthusiastic participation in Sant Joan’s annual summer talent contests.
“I think everyone was like, ‘Really?’ And then some people were like, ‘Oh, that’s ridiculous,’” he said.
“But I think people came round very quickly. There are very few Brits in the village and I’m 6ft 1, so I stand out when I walk around the village.
“And over the last nine years, I’ve probably taught 300-400 different people in the village – and if I haven’t taught a particular individual, then I’ve taught a son or a daughter or a grandchild. Everyone knows each other in a village of 2,000 people.”
Under a coalition deal struck by his party, and after winning five of the 11 seats on the local council, Mr Thompson will serve as Sant Joan’s mayor for three years before handing over to a Socialist councillor for the final year.
Mr Thompson follows in the footsteps of fellow Brits Mark Lewis, who became the mayor of a town on the Costa Blanca in 2008, and Carmen McPhee, a sheep farmer who assumed the mayoralty of a farming village in Leon ten years ago.
