THE LABOUR group on Greenwich Council has chosen its new leadership team following local elections last week.
Councillor Denise Hyland is the new leader of the group and Councillor John Fahy is the new deputy leader.
Hyland defeated Jackie Smith for the leadership and Fahy was victorious against incumbent deputy, Peter Brooks. They will become the leader of the council and deputy leader of the council respectively at the council’s AGM.
It’s thought to be the first time Greenwich Council has been run by a female leader. Outgoing council leader Chris Roberts didn’t stand for re-election after announcing last year he would be standing down.
The decision by the Labour group came just days after last Thursday’s local elections which saw them increase their control at the Town Hall, gaining three councillors at the expense of the opposition Conservative group.
Greenwich Tories now have eight councillors. Their highest profile loss was that of their deputy leader, Nigel Fletcher, in the Eltham North ward.
Following a meeting of the new Conservative group Spencer Drury has been re-elected as their leader and newcomer Matt Hartley replaces Fletcher as Deputy Leader.
Local winners
In the Greenwich West ward, Maureen O’Mara, Matthew Pennycook and Aidan Smith were elected. In Peninsula, Labour’s Stephen Brain, Chris Lloyd and Denise Scott-McDonald won.
The election saw the departure from the town hall of the popular Peninsula ward councillor Mary Mills after 14 years.
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