Stephen Davies expected to become new Gloucestershire County Council leader
It's as incumbent Mark Hawthorne steps down in September
Councillor Stephen Davies is expected to become the next Conservative leader at Gloucestershire County Council.
The current cabinet member for children’s safeguarding and early years is due to be ratified by his group as their new leader on August 8.
The Hardwicke and Severn division councillor was elected unopposed to become the group leader.
And he will be the Tory group’s candidate to become the next leader at Shire Hall as incumbent Mark Hawthorne steps down in September.
While he will become the Tory group leader this week, who becomes the next leader of the council will depend on how councillors vote at the meeting on September 11.
Tory councillor Alan Preest (Lydney), who chairs the group at Shire Hall and ran the group leader selection process, said: “As far as I’m concerned as group chairman, Stephen Davies is now the new leader of the Conservative group.
“We will go through the group process on Thursday which should be a formality. We didn’t have any other applicants for the job.
“I did go out and ask them all personally but the job’s done. He will be the leader of the Conservative group when the decision is ratified fully on Thursday.”
The current political makeup of the council is 26 Conservatives, 16 Liberal Democrats, five Greens, five Labour councillors and one Independent Conservative.