Agenda item

To elect a Leader of the Council and Deputy Leader of the Council for 2025/26.

Leader of the Council

Nominations were invited for the election of the Leader of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor L Crane and seconded by Councillor M Gorman that Councillor Nick Mannion be elected as the Leader of the Council for the 2025-26 Municipal Year.

The motion was put to the vote and a recorded vote was carried out with the following results:

FOR

Councillors L Anderson, S Bennett-Wake, J Bird, L Braithwaite, J Bratherton, M Brooks, L Buchanan, C Bulman, A Burton, C Chapman, D Clark, A Coiley, N Cook, S Corcoran, L Crane, B Drake, D Edwardes, K Edwards, M Edwards, H Faddes, R Fletcher, E Gilman, M Goldsmith, M Gorman, C Hilliard, M Houston, D Jefferay, N Mannion, G Marshall, A Moran, R Moreton, J Place, B Puddicombe, J Rhodes, H Seddon, G Smith, J Snowball, R Vernon, M Warren, F Wilson and B Wye.

AGAINST

Councillors S Adams, R Bailey, M Beanland, D Brown, R Chadwick, J Clowes, T Dean, S Edgar, A Gage, S Gardiner, K Hague, E Hall, A Harrison, G Hayes, A Heler, S Holland, T Jackson, R Kain, A Kolker, R Morris, H Moss, C O’Leary, J Pearson, B Posnett, J Pratt, P Redstone, J Saunders, M Sewart, M Simon, L Smetham, L Wardlaw, H Whitaker and J Wray.

NOT VOTING

Councillors C Browne, John Smith and Julie Smith.

The motion was declared carried with 41 votes for, 33 votes against and 3 not voting.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Nick Mannion be elected as Leader of the Council for the 2025-26 Municipal Year.

Deputy Leader of the Council

Nominations were invited for the election of the Deputy Leader of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor M Warren and seconded by Councillor N Mannion that Councillor Michael Gorman be elected as the Deputy Leader of the Council for the 2025-26 Municipal Year

The motion was put to the vote and a recorded vote was carried out with the following results:

FOR

Councillors L Anderson, S Bennett-Wake, J Bird, L Braithwaite, J Bratherton, M Brooks, C Browne, L Buchanan, C Bulman, A Burton, C Chapman, D Clark, A Coiley, N Cook, S Corcoran, L Crane, B Drake, D Edwardes, K Edwards, M Edwards, H Faddes, R Fletcher, E Gilman, M Goldsmith, M Gorman, C Hilliard, M Houston, D Jefferay, N Mannion, G Marshall, A Moran, R Moreton, J Place, B Puddicombe, J Rhodes, H Seddon, G Smith, John Smith, Julie Smith, J Snowball, R Vernon, M Warren, F Wilson and B Wye.

AGAINST

Councillors S Adams, R Bailey, M Beanland, D Brown, R Chadwick, J Clowes, T Dean, S Edgar, A Gage, S Gardiner, K Hague, E Hall, A Harrison, G Hayes, A Heler, S Holland, T Jackson, R Kain, A Kolker, R Morris, H Moss, C O’Leary, J Pearson, B Posnett, J Pratt, P Redstone, J Saunders, M Sewart, M Simon, L Smetham, L Wardlaw, H Whitaker and J Wray.

The motion was declared carried with 44 votes for and 33 votes against.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Michael Gorman be elected as Deputy Leader of the Council for the 2025-26 Municipal Year.

The Mayor invited the Leader and Deputy Leader to speak.

The Leader, in summary: -

1               congratulated the newly elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

2               stated that the receipt of Non-Statutory Best Value Notice was unexpected and disappointing as the Council had made steady progress since March 2023 following recommendations from the LGA Peer Review.

3               reported that a balanced budget for 2025-26 had been set, supported by exceptional financial assistance and new financial reporting tools would be used to monitor and control spending effectively.

4               reported that the Care Quality Commission had rated the Council’s adult social care services as ‘Good’ with a 75% score, which placed the Council amongst the top in England under the new framework.

5               stressed the importance of cross-party cooperation to maintain the momentum in cultural and operational transformation within the Council, and reaffirmed commitment to delivering high-quality services and continuing the Council’s improvement journey.

The Deputy Leader, in summary: -

1               congratulated the newly elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor and thanked the outgoing Mayor for their service.

2               committed to working constructively with all council members to develop and deliver effective policies, particularly around the budget.

3               referred to the abuse and intimidation faced by councillors, which had been highlighted by the Task and Finish Group, and called for improved training, facilities, and security to support elected officials.

4               reported that a Task and Finish Group was looking at the governance system and changes required to address the concerns in the Peer Review.

5               reported that the Council would be hosting a round table at the UKREiiF Conference with government ministers and major investors to promote local investment and regeneration in Cheshire East.

6               referred to the negative impact of social media and misinformation which often undermines public trust in local government and emphasised the need for balanced reporting that highlights the Council’s positive contributions.