Southampton City Council: Leader voted in amid financial woes

Lorna Fielker was previously cabinet member for adult social care

Southampton City Council faces a "challenging time" over its finances, its new leader has said.

Lorna Fielker was voted in as leader of the Labour-run council after Satvir Kaur stood down to focus on standing for Parliament.

The authority faces issuing a section 114 notice in February - effectively declaring bankruptcy.

Ms Fielker told an extraordinary meeting that local government was in a "financially difficult place".

In November, the council said it still needed another £15m to balance this year's budget.

It would have to issue a section 114 notice if it was not able to fulfil its legal duty of delivering a balanced budget next month.

Opposition Conservative group leader Dan Fitzhenry previously said the Labour administration had "failed to manage the council's budget".

Ms Fielker, who represents the Swaythling ward, told Wednesday's meeting that the council was "not alone" and her party's political ideology was not the cause, citing financial problems at other authorities run by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

Former council leader Satvir Kaur is standing for Labour in the Southampton Test constituency in the next election

She insisted the council would "remain ambitious" despite the financial situation.

"This is a challenging time and we are leaning into that challenge.

"[We are] fully focused on what we can do differently and delivering plans that will deliver a sustainable and modern council with (the) reduced budgets that we have."

Ms Fielker has replaced Satvir Kaur who has stepped down as leader to concentrate on standing as a Labour candidate in the Southampton Test constituency, where MP Alan Whitehead is standing down at the next election. She remains a councillor.

Former leader and cabinet member for finance, Simon Letts, has taken Ms Fielker's old role of deputy leader.