Rutland County Council elects new leader after resignations

Conservative Lucy Stephenson was elected leader of Rutland County Council after the previous leader resigned from the party

The new leader of the council in England's smallest county has said she will work with all political groups.

Conservative Lucy Stephenson was elected leader of Rutland County Council on Monday after the previous incumbent resigned as a Tory.

The Conservatives are no longer the single biggest group after a number of resignations in recent months.

Ms Stephenson said the council would work together "right across the political spectrum".

The previous Conservative leader of the council Oliver Hemsley resigned from the party claiming the local authority had been ignored by the government.

Rutland County Council increased council tax by 4.99% this year

His resignation followed three other Tories who left last month and formed the Together4Rutland group with another former Tory.

Ms Stephenson told BBC Radio Leicester she wanted everyone "right across the political spectrum" to work together.

"I think it's been a very turbulent time over the past couple of years," she said. "We had difficulty with our local plan, clearly we're coming out the back of a pandemic - that's now in the past, today we need to move forwards working collaboratively."

The Liberal Democrat group said it had been interested in working with the Conservatives in running the council, but claimed it was not clear what portfolios its councillors would hold.

Councillor Gale Waller, leader of the group, said: "If we had been confident we would have known what our role would be, yes we would have supported it for the benefit of Rutland... but it wasn't explored fully enough for us to be fully confident that we were doing the right thing for our party... but also the people of Rutland."

Analysis

By Tim Parker, BBC Radio Leicester political reporter

Rutland's politics has always been unique, often bucking national trends and with a strong independent character that's been its lifeblood.

But the last few weeks have seen huge political change with the formation of a new independent group Together4Rutland, the last leader's defection from his own party, another by-election and another resignation.

It culminated at the annual meeting, with the selection of a new leader - a Conservative, nominated by independents - promising a "rainbow" cabinet.

But can Lucy Stephenson unite and lead the authority to deliver for voters, in the year left before the next full council elections? There are so many big issues for the smallest county to sort out. It's going to take great effort from every single councillor, independent or not.

Rutland County Council is now made up of six Conservative councillors, six Independent and Green Group members, five Liberal Democrats, four independents, four from the Together4Rutland group, one Green member, and one Labour councillor.

Ms Stephenson was elected leader of the council at Monday's annual meeting, at which she announced a cabinet made up of two Conservatives and two members from the Independent and Green Group.

Their portfolios will be revealed later this week. One position in the cabinet has yet to be announced.

Also at the meeting, Jeff Dale (Independent) was re-elected to serve as the council's chairman and former Conservative deputy leader Nick Begy (Together4Rutland) was re-elected as vice-chair.