New county Labour leader puts focus on growth
Ahead of the forthcoming Devon County Council Elections on Thursday 2 May 2013, Councillor Richard Westlake was unanimously elected as the new Leader of the Devon County Council Labour Group, which is hopeful of making gains this year.
The county Labour Group will shortly be launching their new Manifesto “A Fair Deal For Devon” and are looking to field a full slate of 62 candidates across the county to maximise support against the Con-Dem Coalition.
Cllr Westlake replaces long standing and respected Labour councillor and group leader Cllr Saxon Spence who joined the Labour Party in 1945, and after winning a seat on Exeter City Council in 1972, has served on the county council since 1974. She has been the Labour Leader since 1985. During this period she has taken a keen and active interest in education, serving as a governor of many local schools, Exeter College, and Rolle College Exmouth. In addition to this Cllr Spence was also the Executive Member for Education from 2001 to 2005, and was awarded a CBE for services to local government in 1997.
Cllr Westlake has a wealth of experience for the role as leader. In addition to working full-time for many years as a train driver, he has been a Labour and Co-op Party County Councillor since 1985, and received an MBE in 2010 for his services to the railway industry and local government. Over many years he has served on numerous committees, including recently as the Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee, and in his area has also lobbied and campaigned for local people, and been successful in securing a range of neighbourhood improvements. He also has over 28 years experience as a school governor of both primary and secondary schools, currently serving as a governor of Newtown Primary School and Ladysmith Junior School.
Cllr Westlake said: “I would like to thank my colleagues for their support, and I look forward to leading my group into a successful set of elections.
“We will be fighting these county elections on important local issues such as protecting key services, making sure that we help to deliver growth and jobs for the county , supporting improvements to Devons infrastructure, and fighting for those on low and middle incomes, who are really suffering under the coalitions harsh and divisive policies.
“We are having a very good response on the doorstep from voters as the campaign gathers speed. I must also pay tribute to my friend and colleague Cllr Saxon Spence, who is retiring this time, for all her tremendous hard work, public service and dedication that she has brought to the role of county councillor and Labour leader. It is a very hard act to follow!”
Cllr Westlake can be contacted by phone on 01392 216476 or by email: richard.westlake@devon.gov.uk
Councillor Jill Owen has been elected deputy leader, replacing Cllr Westlake in the role. Cllr Owen, who is a former secondary school teacher, has served on the County Council since 1993 and has a wide range of local government experience including as the former Chair of the Devon & Cornwall Police Authority. During this time she has taken a keen interest in educational issues, youth work, and promoting better services and support for those suffering from domestic abuse.
Cllr Owen said: “Since the Lib Dems formed a coalition with the Tories, the County Labour Group are the only progressive voice at County Hall, as they seem very reluctant to challenge their government, even when it is clearly doing things that harm local people and communities across Devon.
“We are aiming to strengthen that role this time around to make sure that we hold them to account, and lobby for better funding and support.
“We are also keen to achieve more affordable and social housing in partnership with Devon’s District Councils using redundant or surplus county council owned land, and national proposals for a living wage.”
Cllr Owen can be contacted on 01392 413075 or by email: jill.owen@devon.gov.uk
