Calderdale Council leader to step down from role

Tim Swift will swap roles with deputy council leader Jane Scullion later this month

The Labour leader of Calderdale Council is to step down from his role after more than a decade in the job.

Tim Swift said he planned to swap roles with Jane Scullion, the current deputy leader of the council.

The change of leadership was expected to take place at the council's annual meeting on 17 May, he said.

Mr Swift, who first became council leader in  2012, said it had been an “amazing” decade where a lot had been achieved by the Labour group and the council.

He said when he became leader of the Labour group in 2007, it was the third party on the authority with just nine councillors.

“I always believed we would rebuild to lead the council, but I could never have predicted the extraordinary journey that would follow," he said.

"Knowing when to make a change is always one of the hardest things to do, but I have decided now is the right time for me to stand down."

Ms Scullion, Mr Swift's replacement, has been deputy leader of Calderdale Council for four years.

She has held several cabinet roles, including resources and most recently regeneration.

She said: “We look to the future with an ambitious and clear Labour vision for Calderdale, building on our existing priorities of tackling inequalities and climate change and promoting thriving towns.

“In pursuing these important goals, I am delighted that Tim will remain as deputy leader, providing invaluable experience and continuity for the coming year.”

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