LABOUR councillor Simon Stokes has offered to end the impasse preventing Minehead's mayor-in- waiting from taking up his ceremonial role. The town council's annual meeting last Wednesday had to be abandoned after opposition councillors delivered a 'bloody nose' to the ruling Tories by staying away. That meant the meeting was one short of the eight councillors legally required to allow any business to be carried out - so Cllr Nicky Messarra could not be 'crowned' as mayor. Council officers have been advised that the reconvened meeting should be held as soon as possible and at least within June. But that could still pose problems for the Tories, with Cllr Stan Taylor currently away on holiday and Cllr Tony Berry due to go away when he returns. However, Cllr Stokes has said he is prepared to make up the numbers to allow the formal appointment of mayor to go ahead. But he will leave the meeting immediately afterwards unless a row over the co-option of two new councillors is resolved. The Tories are insisting the vacancies caused by the death of Independent Jean Walker and the resignation of Labour's Val Welch should be filled by two co-options of their choice. But opposition councillors say they will accept one Tory but want an Independent - former Labour member and past councillor Lesley Culverhouse - to take the vacant Alcombe seat. "Cllr Messarra was elected as mayor by a majority vote and I have to accept that," said Cllr Stokes. "I have huge reservations about him taking on the office but I think we have to be prepared to give him a chance. "However, I am not prepared to back down over this co-option issue. The Tories are wrong to let politics rule the town council in this destructive way." Former council clerk Des Dobson, who handed over his role to Sue Sanders on Wednesday to take on the job as the authority's finance officer, said no date had yet been fixed for the reconvened meeting. "As long as we hold it in June we will not be breaching any rules," Mr Dobson told the Free Press. "Basically, it is frozen in time and we have told the councillors that the meeting must be held as soon as possible. "One or two dates have been bandied about but we are still waiting to hear from the councillors." Last year's mayor, Cllr Terry Venner, who has had to continue in the role until the current dispute is resolved, said he would be meeting a number of other councillors - of all political persuasions - today (Friday) for informal discussions. "We have to move this forward for the benefit of everyone and for the good of the town, which should be the most important thing in our minds."