The Annual General Meeting of Blaenau Gwent Council has been held today (Thursday, 26th May 2022).
Councillor Stephen Thomas of Labour was formally elected as the Leader of the Council with responsibility for Corporate & Performance. Councillor Helen Cunningham was elected as Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Place & Environment.
Councillor Chris Smith was elected as Presiding Member of the Council. The Presiding Member will:
- Chair Council Meetings;
- Maintain order and to protect the rights of Members including ensuring that Council business is handled on the basis of equality and impartiality;
- Promote democratic engagement and leadership
The Deputy Presiding Member will be Councillor David Wilkshire.
The Council’s Executive members and their relevant portfolios are as follows:
- Leader & Executive Member for Corporate & Performance – Councillor Stephen Thomas
- Deputy Leader & Executive Member for Place & Environment – Councillor Helen Cunningham
- Executive Member People & Education – Councillor Sue Edmunds
- Executive Member People & Social Services – Councillor Haydn Trollope
- Executive Member Place & Regeneration – Councillor John C. Morgan
Leader Cllr Stephen Thomas said:
“I’m honored to be elected as the Leader of Blaenau Gwent Council today, to be able to serve the people of the county borough and work with them on our priorities for the next few years. I’m pleased to be able to officially appoint the Executive Members to their portfolios, and also pleased to welcome many new councillors across the political spectrum to the Council. I look forward to working with all in the best interests of Blaenau Gwent and our residents.
“The Labour Party will be striving to repay the trust put in us by those who voted us for us in our communities. We have a number of top priorities to focus on and have used our recent campaigning to get a real feel for the issues most affecting our residents in their daily lives; the things that matter most to them, and how we can go about addressing some of these.
“We will be working to provide the best, most efficient services possible to the community. One of our many challenges will be to work with a number of different partners to do what we can to help with the current cost of living crisis. We will also be focusing on decarbonisation and the need to live and operate more sustainably; and also helping people to live healthier lives.”
The Chairs of the following committees were also appointed:
- People Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Tommy Smith (Chair)
- Place Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Malcolm Cross (Chair)
- Partnership Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Wayne Hodgins (Chair)
- Corporate and Performance Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Joanna Wilkins (Chair)
