Yahoo News 'Gloucester through and through' Lib Dem Jeremy Hilton elected City Council leader 42 years after first becoming a councillor
“Gloucester through and through” Jeremy Hilton has been chosen to be leader of the City Council some 42 years after he was first elected as a councillor. The Kingsholm and Wotton ward councillor’s Liberal Democrats will lead a minority administration at North Warehouse.
The Lib Dems secured 17 out of 39 councillors in the recent elections but do not have enough seats to control the council outright. So the Lib Dems will need to rely on support from other groups to get their plans approved.
The rest of the council is made up by 11 Conservatives, seven Labour councillors and four Community Independents. Councillor Declan Wilson (LD, Hucclecote) proposed Cllr Hilton’s election as leader and this was seconded by Cllr Angela Conder (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton).
“The electorate has said they would quite like the idea of a Lib Dem-run council albeit not one with an overall majority,” he said. “The right person to lead this council is my colleague of many years Jeremy Hilton.
"I can assure you that he is one of the most advocates for this city and one of the most in this chamber. He is the right person to lead this city through the many challenges we are going to face in the next few years.”
Cllr Conder said Cllr Hilton would make a good leader and is “an institution in Gloucester”. Tory Councillor Andrew Gravells (C, Abbeydale) jokingly interjected to ask if she thought Cllr Hilton out to be in one.
“With you!” Came the reply from Cllr Hilton. Cllr Conder continued to say institutions can sometimes be venerable.
“Aged, even” she said. “But nevertheless, worthy of respect.
"But they also move with the times, effective ones anyway. We can agree Cllr Hilton has done that.“He has led our party from the front. He has given us more energy and enthusiasm and the ambition to win more seats than we had before.”
Cllr Rebecca Trimnell said Cllr Hilton was “Gloucester through and through. “And the right person to lead this council," she said.
Labour group leader Terry Pullen (L, Moreland) acknowledged the Lib Dems are the largest party. But he said with no overall control things will be very different and it will need to be a case of working together.
“Jeremy Hilton has been elected as leader of the council," he said. "My god! Councillor Hilton has been waiting a long, long time.
“Since 1982. Well I was only 24 in 1982 and there are some members of the Labour group who weren’t even born in 1982.
“I guess it’s a case of if at first you don’t succeed… Well keep trying Jeremy. We hope the job won’t be too trying for you and we hope you won’t be too trying for the rest of us.”
Conservative group leader Stephanie Chambers (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) said she hopes all groups work together for the city. She wants to ensure the projects started by the previous Tory administration continue.
“I really do want to be able in this chamber to work together,” she said. "This is democracy, that is what the people wanted but we have to respect each other. We are representatives for the people and are going to do the best for them.”
Community Independents leader Alastair Chambers (Matson, Robinswood and White City) said he could only say good things about Jeremy Hilton.
“When I came to this council, I had a lot of people telling me to put some blows in here, put some blows in there," he said. “But all I can say is you’ve been here for the people.
"You act for the people. And that’s all I can say you’re a good chap.”
A total of 20 councillors voted in favour while the Conservatives and Labour abstained. Cllr Hilton received a round of applause on his election.
He said his administration will work in a much more collaborative way and hopes to make major decisions by consensus. “It is important that, in the way we run the council, we reflect it is in no overall control,” he said.
“He said it was absolutely right he was elected in 1982. On that occasion I beat the leader of the Conservative group, the leader of the council.
“It was the Falklands War when Tories were winning everywhere - that was a good omen that at some point in the future I would get the job of being leader of the council.
“The only thing about the time it has taken is the fact my mum and dad are no longer here to see me take office. I’m sure they would have been delighted to know that their son made it to leader of the council.
“Even if it’s only for a few minutes - by the looks of the members opposite!”
