The political leadership of Durham County Council remains unchanged for a further year after members agreed to continue with the same leader and cabinet for a third term.
At the authority’s annual meeting on Wednesday, Liberal Democrat cllr Amanda Hopgood said she will remain leader of the council, which is currently run by a cross-party Joint Administration. The Conservative councillor Richard Bell remains deputy leader, while all other cabinet remembers retain their positions.
It was initially suggested, in the aftermath of the 2021 local elections, that the council leadership would be rotated around cabinet members. However, members agreed last year that continuity was vital to progress and that changing roles was unnecessary and potentially disruptive, given that cabinet decisions are made collectively and no single group/ party leads the council.
The current Joint Administration is made up of Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Independents after the parties agreed a deal to oust Labour from power in 2021.
Speaking after the meeting, cllr Amanda Hopgood said: “Over the last two years, the Joint Administration of Durham County Council has pursued an ambitious and positive agenda for the benefit of everyone in this county.
Together, in a sustained, strong partnership, we have made the big decisions that were needed, to both put right the mistakes made by the previous administration, and prepare County Durham for a bright and successful future.
“We have done all of this in the context of huge external challenges and in very difficult financial circumstances. Those challenges are not going away, but neither is the Joint Administration.”
At Durham Council’s AGM, where Council Leader Amanda Hopgood has just confirmed she will continue to lead the Lib Dem, Conservative and Independent coalition pic.twitter.com/L66n3clD0K
— Bill Edgar (@BillEdgarnews) May 24, 2023
The meeting saw changes to some chairs and vice chairs of committees, with Labour making gains. Among the positions gained by Labour was the Chair of Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, which sees deputy leader Rob Crute take up the role, in a move which members hope will help hold the council’s decision making to account. In total, Labour gained nine positions.
Cllr Hopgood speculated the changes will “lead to more attempts by the Labour group to disrupt the important work of this council” but added its members have failed to do that during the last two years.
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However, Labour leader cllr Carl Marshall, who will also enter his third term of leading the party, said it’s a sign that Labour is making gains throughout the county.
“This is another landmark moment in the turning of the tide in County Durham,” he said. Labour is ready to take back control of Durham County Council and having secured victories in every by-election since 2021, we’re now reclaiming these influential roles within the authority; roles which allow us even greater power to hold this shaky Coalition to account.
“These are key victories, allowing Labour greater oversight, scrutiny and influence over the regressive and sometimes harmful decisions that have been pushed through by this chaotic Tory-led Coalition, which obviously no longer has a political mandate from the Council. I would say to Cllr Hopgood, that while she may not like it, democracy has spoken.”
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