Longest-serving City of Lincoln Council leader steps down

Ric Metcalfe, 81, was first elected as a councillor for Lincoln in 1982

The leader of City of Lincoln Council has announced he is leaving office and standing down as a councillor after more than 42 years of service.

Ric Metcalfe, 81, was first elected as a councillor for Lincoln in 1982 and has been leader of the authority for more than 20 years.

He said he wanted to travel and spend more time with his family.

Mr Metcalfe will remain as leader and councillor for Glebe ward until the local elections in May 2024.

He said he was "proud" to have been a part of such a successful Labour administration but that the time was right to step down.

"While it is always difficult to give up doing something you love and which you think is worthwhile, I have decided that I will not stand again when the next city council elections take place.

"While still reasonably active, I want to spend some more time with my family, enjoy some foreign train travel, give a bit more time to my beloved allotment and continue my university teaching," he said.

'Vision and ambition'

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Metcalfe, who is originally from Norfolk, said it was probably "fair to say he had done his bit for the city" but stressed it was a team effort.

"I am also grateful to the voters of Glebe Ward who have unswervingly supported me since 1982," he said.

He said he was proud of the council's record, particularly on things like climate change.

"It was something I was drumming on about in the 1980s," he added.

Mr Metcalfe also faced criticism after the authority pulled the plug on the city's world-renowned Christmas market due to concerns about overcrowding.

However, he said: "It wasn't an individual decision on my part, but it was the right thing to do.

"In politics, you sometimes have to be brave and make decisions that you know to be right, even if they are unpopular in the short-term," he added.

The council's chief executive Angela Andrews praised Mr Metcalfe's "vision and ambition".

"His strong leadership and moral compass have helped guide the authority to achieve its ambitions and provided it with a strong sense of purpose," she said.

"He is incredibly well respected by all who deal with him and his candour and intellect have ensured that those who meet with him hold him in high regard."

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