Council Leader Says Agreement On Leadership Yet to be Finalised

Published on: 5 May, 2020
Updated on: 6 May, 2020

Cllr Caroline Reeves

Council leader Caroline Reeves has reacted to The Guildford Dragon’s story this morning (see: Shock Council Move as Leader Reeves Hands Over Power To R4GV’s Joss Bigmore), saying: “I am unsure about the origin of the agreement you [refer to] as we have not, as yet, finalised an agreement. We will, of course, have to do so.

“We are also mindful of the rapidly changing landscape that will be our world over the next months or even years and we need as a new Executive to sit down and work out the best way for each of us in our given portfolios to deal with the changed circumstances.

“As council leader, I cannot just hand over the leadership, there’s a due process which will be followed at the appropriate time. Meanwhile, we have to concentrate on creating the working relationships of the new Executive.”

Revised GBC Executive. Tentative leadership changeover date subject to full council approval in September. Joss Bigmore R4GV will be deputy leader until then.

Dragon editor Martin Giles responded: “It is understood that the R4GV group expected a new leadership election in July but this now appears to have been postponed until September.

“Cllr Reeves is correct to emphasise that any change of leadership requires a vote of the full council but given the agreement which we have been told has been reached between the two biggest parties at Millmead, it would require a major rebellion in one or both groups for a handover not to occur. And in that scenario, the whole agreement would have to be scrapped.”