Clipstone councillor elected to lead Sherwood authority

The shock results after the poll on May 4 involved the Conservative leader and deputy leader both losing their seats.

Members have now elected Coun Paul Peacock, Labour member for Edwinstowe & Clipstone ward, to lead the council for the next four years.

He said his Labour group has formed “relationships” with the Independents for Newark and the Liberal Democrats, meaning they will form a coalition group because no-one won enough seats to hold overall control alone.

At the elections, the Tories took just 14 of the 39 available seats, compared with the 29 they held after the 2019 elections. The Labour Party and Independents won 11 seats each while the Liberal Democrats won three seats.

The Conservatives lost three seats to independents in Beacon, including the now-former Conservative council leader, David Lloyd – Coun Rhona Holloway, member for Bilsthorpe, will now lead the Conservative Group.

Coun Peacock said the recent local elections revealed a “seismic change across the country” and the Independents of Newark marked a “breath of fresh air” for the authority.

He said: “The local elections have proved to be a call for change. A change in the way Newark & Sherwood does its business. My style of leadership will be less about me and more about us.”

However, Conservative Coun Sue Saddington, former council chairman, accused the Independents of Newark of “propping up Labour” to form an administration with three Liberal Democrats and warned: “We as an opposition will scrutinise every decision you make.”

Coun Peacock said: “At the moment we’ve got a minority administration, there are challenges with that for sure, but a number of parties supported us. We are happy to work with them and find a way forward.

“We’ve got a number of groups supporting each other and I hope the Conservatives will come to the table in that same way.”

Coun Celia Brooks, fellow Labour member for Edwinstowe & Clipstone, was elected council chairman after polling more votes than Tory nomination Coun Penny Rainbow, member for Southwell.