Listings of all of our past Mayor's can be found on our local history website, Cotton Town.
Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen 2024 to 2025 - Councillor Brian Taylor
Councillor Brian Taylor was born in Darwen in 1949 and has lived in the town ever since. He is the youngest of six children, and a former pupil of St John’s CE Primary School and Spring Bank County Secondary School.
After leaving school in 1964, he started work as a toolmaker – something he didn’t really enjoy. Councillor Taylor made a move to the shop floor of Paragon Wallpapers in Darwen. He feels fortunate to have had an inspirational boss who saw something in him and encouraged him to attend further education. He went on to achieve an associate qualification from the Institute of Industrial Mangers.
Councillor Taylor’s career took him to Crown Wallcoverings in Darwen where he worked for 33 years in production management. He then moved into a Court Administrator role with TV Licensing, as was also a representative for the Communication Workers Union. After 20 years in this role, Councillor Taylor retired in 2022 at the age of 72.
74 year old Councillor Taylor has been a Labour councillor on Blackburn with Darwen Council since 2010, first representing Sunnyhurst Ward and later Darwen West, after boundary changes.
Over the last 14 years as a ward councillor, he has served as Assistant Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing, and Chair of The Place Scrutiny Committee. He has also championed Public Health and been involved in the annual Suicide Prevention Day events.
In amongst his work and councillor commitments, Brian has found time to run the London Marathon twice, fundraising for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
Councillor Taylor is married to Kathleen, his wife of 38 years. Between them, they have four children and five grandchildren.
Councillor Taylor will be supported in his Mayoral role by his three daughters, Nicola, Emma and Louise, as joint Mayoresses.
Together the Mayor and Mayoresses have chosen two charities that mean a lot to them personally to represent and fundraise over the next 12 months: Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and Papyrus, a suicide prevention charity.