A new Leader has been elected at a meeting of Cumbria County Council in Kendal today.
Cllr Stewart Young, Leader of the county council's Labour group, was voted in as Leader by county councillors this morning after a successful motion to remove the Executive and Leader.
Cllr Young was voted in unopposed after the vote of no confidence in the Executive was carried by 49 votes to 30, with one abstention.
The position of Deputy Leader has been taken up by Labour councillor Anne Burns after the Conservative group and Liberal Democrat group opted not to take either of the two available positions of Deputy Leader.
As there is no single political party with overall control of the council and no political partnerships have been formed between parties, the county council's constitution states that a politically proportionate Cabinet should be formed.
The county council consists of 84 elected members. Currently there are 38 Labour members, 32 Conservative members, 11 Liberal Democrat members, 2 Independent members and 1 vacancy. The politically proportionate Cabinet formed at council today would therefore consist of 5 Labour members, 4 Conservatives and 1 Liberal Democrat. However, the Conservative group Leader Cllr Tim Stoddard told full council that he will not be putting forward any members to take their Cabinet positions at present. Liberal Democrat group Leader Cllr Joan Stocker subsequently opted not to put forward a nominee for Cabinet either.
This means that the county council's new Cabinet consists of the following five members:
Cllr Stewart Young - Leader of the Council and Leader of the Labour group
Cllr Anne Burns - Deputy Leader
Cllr Barbara Cannon
Cllr Alan Clark
Cllr Tim Knowles
Responsibilities for individual Cabinet members will be announced in due course.
ENDS
Please note: Cumbria County Council's media team telephone numbers have now changed.
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 226332