South Norfolk Council elects new leader for the first time in 17 years
He takes over from Norfolk’s longest-serving council leader
A Norfolk council has elected a new leader for the first time in 17 years.
Daniel Elmer, the leader of the Conservative group, has been chosen as the leader of South Norfolk Council.
He succeeds Lord Fuller, who announced his resignation after receiving a life peerage from the prime minister.
He was Norfolk’s longest-serving council leader, having led the authority since 2007.
There was uncertainty surrounding the leadership of the council after a shock by-election win for the Green Party saw the Tories lose overall control of the authority last month.
However, no other candidates were put forward for the role.
Mr Elmer said: “If I told you how much my heart was pumping, sitting there waiting for that moment, you would not quite believe it.
“I want to thank everyone for the vote of confidence and faith in me – I would never presume to be able to fill Lord Fuller’s shoes.”
Mr Elmer, a policy advisor at the Cabinet Office, had been deputy leader of the council for a year and represents Cringleford ward.
Although there are restrictions on the political roles Cabinet Office staff can take, Mr Elmer says he has been granted the necessary consent.
The 29-year-old, who moved from Basildon to Norfolk to study at the University of East Anglia, also sits on the county council.
Mr Elmer was selected as the new leader at South Norfolk Council’s annual meeting on Monday, where he also chose his new political team.
His cabinet will include councillors Graham Minshull, Richard Elliott, Keith Kiddie, Kim Carsok and Lisa Overton-Neal. The new chairman of the council is Lib Dem member Sharon Blundell.
The Conservatives lost overall control of the council after Suzanne Wateridge’s victory for the Greens in the Bunwell ward by-election gave her party its first seat.
There are now 23 Conservatives, 11 Liberal Democrats, nine Labour members, two who sit as independent councillors and one Green.