Reform UK group leader chosen to head up council

Rob Howard was appointed as leader of the council on Friday

A new leader has been chosen for Warwickshire County Council following local elections earlier this month.

Councillor Rob Howard, head of the Reform UK group at the authority, was chosen as the council's leader at its annual general meeting on Friday.

He was not present at the meeting, having submitted apologies for his absence in advance.

Portfolio holders for the new cabinet will be announced in the coming weeks.

The council now comprises 23 Reform UK councillors, 14 Lib Dems, nine Tories, seven Greens, three Labour councillors and one representing Whitnash Residents Association.

There are 57 councillors in total, meaning a group needs 29 seats or more to have outright control.

As none of the parties crossed that threshold, it meant the council was left in no overall control.

As Reform UK was the largest party, it held greater sway when it came to choosing the leader than other parties represented on the authority.

Reform UK were the largest party at Warwickshire County Council after the elections held on 1 May

Howard was nominated by deputy Reform UK group leader councillor George Finch and councillor Michael Bannister, also of Reform.

Alternative nominations were made for Liberal Democrat councillor Jerry Roodhouse and Green councillor Jonathan Chilvers to be leader, but both failed.

Howard won 28 votes from the councillors present at the meeting, while Roodhouse won 15 votes and Chilvers won 10 votes. There was one abstention.

The meeting also saw Reform's councillor Edward Harris chosen as the new chair of the authority and Conservative councillor Dale Keeling elected as vice-chair.

Harris' role includes chairing meetings of full council every six weeks along with civic duties representing the authority at public events.