New leader for Wolverhampton Council chosen
Wolverhampton Council has a new leader after Ian Brookfield was elected by the city’s ruling Labour group.
The councillor won a ballot at the group’s AGM, fending off challengers including John Reynolds.
He succeeds Councillor Roger Lawrence, who has stepped down after leading the authority for 15 years.
It came after Labour lost one seat to the Tories at the city’s local council elections.
Councillor Lawrence said he was “optimistic” that he had left a strong Labour group in charge of the city.
But he said he regretted the fact that some communities in the city had struggled due to austerity.
He said: “My biggest regret over the last seven or eight years is that while we have survived and we have got by and done our best, undoubtedly we have groups who have suffered disproportionately from the cuts in local government.”
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Labour now has 51 seats on the council to the Conservatives nine.
Newly-elected councillor Paul Appleby, said he was elated to win the Bushbury North seat for his party.
“It was a close battle and I want to thank everyone who turned out and voted for me,” he said.
“We just have to crack on now and get Wolverhampton back on its feet. I’m ecstatic, it’s been hard work. There have been some issues when I have been walking around knocking on doors. There is talk about the development of Stafford Road and speeding and the bins fiasco.”
Tory leader Wendy Thompson said the elections in the city had been “a really good result” for her party.
“People want change. This is the start, we will be moving forward from here,” she said.
The poll also saw married couple Paul and Olivia Birch newly elected as Labour councillors for Blakenhall and Bilston North respectively.
Turnout was 27 per cent.
