Issue - meetings

Election of the Leader of the Council for four year term 2019-2023

Meeting: 15/05/2019 - Council (Item 13)

Election of the Leader of the Council

To receive the report of the Democratic Services Manager on nominations received in respect of the election of the Leader of the Council.  Under the Council’s current executive arrangements and in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21(a), the Council shall elect the Leader for a four year term of office ending on the day of the next post-election annual meeting of the Council.

 

A councillor proposing to nominate another councillor as Leader must notify the Democratic Services Manager of their nomination, and the name of the councillor seconding the nomination, before the meeting at which the election is to be held.

 

Details of nominees and their proposers and seconders will be included on the Order Paper for the meeting. 

 

If more than one councillor is nominated, the election of the Leader shall be by show of hands.

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21(d), the newly elected Leader of the Council may announce the appointment of the Deputy Leader and Lead Councillors on the Executive and the titles of the portfolios assigned to them.

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Manager reported that he had received the following nominations in respect of the election of the Leader of the Council for a four-year period ending on the day of the next post-election annual meeting of the Council:

 

·        Councillor Joss Bigmore (proposed by Councillor John Rigg and seconded by Councillor Christopher Barrass)

·        Councillor Caroline Reeves(proposed by Councillor Fiona White and seconded by Councillor Jan Harwood)

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19 (d), Councillor Paul Spooner requested a recorded vote on the election of Leader, which was supported at the meeting by four other councillors. 

 

At the suggestion of the Mayor, the Council agreed that the following process for dealing with a contested election for the leadership of the Council:

 

1.             Each candidate shall be separately proposed and seconded, with each proposer and seconder speaking for up to five minutes.

2.             The candidates to address the Council in support of their respective nominations for up to five minutes each. 

3.             Other councillors to comment on the nominations, for up to three minutes each, after which each candidate’s nomination to then be put to the vote.

 

Following this process, the Council

 

RESOLVED: That Councillor Caroline Reeves be elected Leader of the Council for a four-year period ending on the day of the next post-election annual meeting of the Council.

 

The result of the recorded vote on the election of Leader of the Council by the councillors present was as follows:

 

For Councillor Joss Bigmore (19 votes):

Councillor Paul Abbey

Councillor Tim Anderson

Councillor Christopher Barrass

Councillor Joss Bigmore

Councillor Chris Blow

Councillor Dennis Booth

Councillor Ruth Brothwell

Councillor Colin Cross

Councillor Diana Jones

Councillor Ann McShee

Councillor Bob McShee

Councillor Ramsey Nagaty

Councillor Susan Parker

Councillor John Redpath

Councillor Maddy Redpath

Councillor John Rigg

Councillor Tony Rooth

Councillor Deborah Seabrook

Councillor Catherine Young

 

 

 

For Councillor Caroline Reeves (23 votes):

Councillor Jon Askew

Councillor David Bilbé

Councillor Graham Eyre

Councillor David Goodwin

Councillor Angela Gunning

Councillor Gillian Harwood

Councillor Jan Harwood

Councillor Liz Hogger

Councillor Tom Hunt

Councillor Gordon Jackson

Councillor Steven Lee

Councillor Ted Mayne

Councillor Julia McShane

Councillor Masuk Miah

Councillor George Potter

Councillor Jo Randall

Councillor Caroline Reeves

Councillor Will Salmon

Councillor Pauline Searle

Councillor Paul Spooner

Councillor James Steel

Councillor James Walsh

Councillor Fiona White

 

Abstentions (4):

The Mayor, Councillor Richard Billington

Councillor Andrew Gomm

Councillor Nigel Manning

Councillor Marsha Moseley

 

The newly elected Leader of the Council announced the appointment of Councillor Fiona White as Deputy Leader of the Council.