New Redcar and Cleveland Council cabinet announced after George Dunning replaced as leader

The new cabinet to lead Redcar and Cleveland Council until May’s elections has been announced.

Cllr Mary Lanigan was elected as the authority’s new leader on Thursday following the resignation of Cllr George Dunning at a meeting of the full council.

Cllr Lanigan, also leader of the Independent group, has gone into coalition with the Lib Dem group - and has now announced her cabinet:

Leader – Cllr Mary Lanigan

Deputy Leader and Children’s Services and Education – Cllr Josh Mason

Culture, Leisure and Tourism – Cllr Chris Abbott

Community Safety – Cllr Stuart Smith

Highways, Planning and Transport – Cllr Steve Kay

Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal – Cllr Tristan Learoyd

Health and Social Wellbeing – Cllr Mary Ovens

Economic Development – Cllr Ron Harrison

Environment and Rural Affairs – Cllr Barry Hunt

Corporate Resources – Cllr Glyn Nightingale

Cllr Lanigan said: “My first priority is to bring the council together and start to really move forward on doing what we were elected to do – the best for the people of Redcar and Cleveland.

“There are some important decisions to make over the coming weeks and months, particularly in respect of the budget and the Combined Authority, and we need to turn our attention back to council business.

“I look forward to working with the new cabinet to bring about positive change for the people of the borough.”

The new leader has been a councillor for 12 years and represents the Loftus ward. She is the first female elected leader.

The Labour group lost control of the council on Thursday after former leader George Dunning resigned after a bitter internal party dispute saw him and a raft of senior councillors resign their membership after they were deselected.

Cllr Sue Jeffrey, the new leader of the council’s Labour group, was the other candidate to lead the council but received 15 votes to Cllr Lanigan’s 30.

She said: “George Dunning’s resignation was inevitable given the events of last week and his resignation from the Labour Party.

“It’s now time to look forward. I congratulate Cllr Lanigan on her election as leader of the council. Over the remaining few months of this council’s term of office, the Labour group will work constructively with the Independent Lib Dem coalition where we can but we will also hold them to account for the decisions they make.

“However, our main focus in the next few months, as Labour councillors together with our new team of Labour candidates, will be out on the doorsteps, listening to our local communities, and working to return a Labour council and two Labour MPs at the elections on May 7.”