Leader of Harlow Council resigns over work life balance

Harlow council leader Russell Perrin resigns citing the "hard balance" he's faced with work, family and council duties

The Tory leader of Harlow District Council has announced he will resign.

Russell Perrin said it had been "hard to balance" the competing pressures of his day job as a deputy head teacher with being a father and council leader.

It comes after the Conservatives increased their majority on the council in the local elections on 4 May, at a time of heavy losses for the party across England.

He is expected to remain leader until a full council meeting on 25 May.

Last week, the Conservatives increased their majority on the council by one, by winning a seat off Labour which Mr Perrin described as "bucking the national trend".

Despite that win, the Conservative share of the overall vote had decreased compared to 2021, when the Tories took control of the council from Labour.

Mr Perrin told BBC Essex he was leaving the council "in better shape than when I found it".

However he said it had been "emotionally hard and physically hard to balance all of those competing pressures" involved with balancing home, work and council life.

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He said he knew he did not want to be leader going into the local elections next year and wanted to give a new leader a year "getting ready for a big battle" when all seats on the council would be up for grabs.

"I'm a father of two children, I've a full time career and I often don't leave the council building until 10 or 11 o'clock in the evening most nights," he said.

"I don't say that for any pity or plaudits - it's just a matter of fact. I know I can't continue to keep doing that.

"I won't be going into that election, which will need somebody that is able to front up that fight.

"So I was doing the right thing and saying, 'OK we've achieved all this great stuff... so I feel I've done my bit'."

During his 18 months as leader, Mr Perrin has lost senior Conservatives in his cabinet.

His Deputy Leader, Dan Swords, quit in February and said he was disappointed in the position and direction the council was taking.

Simon Carter, a longstanding Conservative councillor, was sacked from his cabinet post in November.

Harlow Conservatives will vote for a new group leader at their annual general meting this weekend.

Mr Perrin will remain in post until until the formal ratification of a new leader of the local authority at a full council meeting on 25 May.