New education leader at county council

Simon Mabbott was already working as the cabinet support member for special educational needs provision

Reform UK councillor Simon Mabbott has been given the education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) role on Derbyshire County Council's cabinet.

It comes after the surprise resignation of Jack Bradley, who quit as a councillor on Thursday for personal reasons.

Mabbott was elected to represent Ilkeston South and Kirk Hallam as part of Reform UK's victory in May's local elections.

He has been the cabinet support member for special educational needs for just under three months and was chair of the council's audit committee.

Derbyshire's Reform UK leader, Alan Graves, said last week the SEND and education role was "very important".

That was echoed by the opposition Conservatives, who said the brief was "complicated and sensitive" and needed someone in charge to "get a grip".

Last year, a damning Ofsted report found "widespread and systemic failings" in the then Conservative-run Derbyshire SEND provision.

In August, Graves said children were being "overdiagnosed" with special educational needs, comments that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called "reckless" and "shameful".

Alan Graves said his new cabinet member had very useful experience

Graves said Mabbott had "gained a bit of experience" in his short spell as cabinet support which would be "very, very useful" as he added the wider education role to his brief.

"He's already got a good knowledge of the system... Simon understands process more than anything," he said.

Graves will now need to find a new cabinet support member for special educational needs and a new chair of the audit committee.

Two weeks ago, he had to remove two councillors from their committees because they were struggling to find time for the roles.