Simon Young | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Young in 2012 | |
| 6thMayor of Pitcairn Islands | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2023 | |
| Monarch | Charles III |
| Governor | Iona Thomas |
| Preceded by | Charlene Warren-Peu |
| Deputy Mayor of Pitcairn | |
| In office 1 January 2010 – 31 December 2013 | |
| Succeeded by | Brenda Christian |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1965 (age 59–60) |
Simon Young (born 1965) is a British politician who serves as theMayor of Pitcairn, the first non-nativePitcairn Islander to hold the position. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Mayor from 2009 to 2013.
Simon Young was born in 1965.[1] Originally fromPickering inNorth Yorkshire, Young served in theRoyal Air Force for ten years. After leaving the air force he wanted to travel the world and was interested in thePitcairn Islands. In order to visit the island Young had to ask for permission from the island's council in writing. Young visited Pitcairn in 1992, and it took him nine days to sail fromAuckland,New Zealand, to the Pitcairn Islands.[2][3]
In 1999, Young and his wife Shirley, who was from the United States, permanently moved to the Pitcairn Islands.[2][3] He is editor of the island's newspaperThe Pitcairn Miscellany.[2]
Young was elected as Deputy Mayor in the2009 Pitcairnese general election[4] and served under MayorMike Warren.[5] He ran for the mayoralty in the2013 elections, losing by one vote in the third round of voting toShawn Christian after the two candidates had been tied in the first two rounds.[6] He later served as the magistrate of the islands.[7]
In the2022 mayoral election Young was elected mayor by 19 votes to 16, becoming the first non-native to head the island's government.[2] Due to the islands small population he personally knew every voter.[2] During his tenure as mayor he has sought to increase the population of the islands by encouraging immigration.[3] He bears no relation toSimon Young, who was magistrate of the Pitcairn Islands in 1849.[2] He was present for thecoronation of Charles III and Camilla.[8]
