The Leader read out the following statement to Members:

“Whilst we have an extraordinary meeting on 27^th April, this is the last Full Council meeting of the Strong Leader and Cabinet era on this Council, at least for some time.

We have opted democratically to be a committee led Council and whilst that will involve challenge and adaptability, we owe it to the Council and our residents to make it work. We should be encouraged by the degree of public support for this change, including very emphatically former Councillors who went through the change to the Cabinet system.

Who knows what new crises may yet occur, but it is clear that we, along, with the whole of local government are going to find the next period of time very hard. 

Local Government has been under-funded for far too long and unless this is reversed, we will have to find radical ways to manage financially. If the government funds little more than statutory services, then the role of local government is going to be profoundly restricted. We are in danger of being a centralised state with less and less local empowerment. This is utterly the wrong direction. The Covid crisis showed exactly how able and adaptable lower tier Councils are, and Swale was a sterling example.

Swale has been able to expand its role over the last few years by the use of one-off funds, and I will be providing a statement on these at the final Cabinet meeting on 13^th April. But these funds are finite and all the indications are that improvements to the borough in future may depend on successful bids for government funding, such as our levelling up bid, or how we stand with the government on their link between devolution, infrastructure and county deals.

The last three years of this Council has seen movement in several directions:   the constitutional changes, the determination to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, the enhanced links with the voluntary sector, the climate change initiatives and the improvements to our public realm with a sense of our heritage. None of this is work completed and I hope we will see continuity into the committee period, over the next year and beyond.

If I can be personal, I have had three overall priorities.

Firstly, to ensure this council has a sense of stability both in its administrative management and in its finances. We were in a difficult place at first without a Chief Executive and without a very convincing structure to our senior management.

Secondly, I believed there were resources available, and had been for a long time, that could be utilised to the benefit of our local communities. I have referred to the one-off funding earlier, which has in total enhanced our public facilities, our open spaces, including play areas, made visiting Swale a more comfortable experience, improved our town centres and given support to others in our community that are a vital glue in our borough.

And thirdly, I have wanted Swale to be a kind Council, providing backing to disadvantaged groups, to foodbanks, children’s centres, and as indicated tackling homelessness with improved resources.

Along with this, for much of the first 18 months my own personal concentration, was taken up with ensuring that the Spirit of Sittingbourne project that we inherited would be delivered in a way that protected Council interests and delivered something valuable to our residents. I believe a decisive part of that was ending the partnership with developers and recovering land that had been offered a way in the deal.

So, we enter a new stage, and a change in the way we are led. The leader will still need to represent the Council to the outside world and to keep an overall strategic view of the Council’s progress. But the level of decision making will be different.

So, the next year will also be a learning period for both the leader and other lead members, who were previously cabinet members. We cannot know the outcome of the 2023 elections, but as far as possible it would be productive for the leader over the next 12 months to be around after those elections.

Which brings me to the point. I have been a Swale Councillor for 28 years. I was very doubtful about being a candidate in 2019 and I long ago decided I would not stand in 2023.

I believe it will be in the best interest of this Council, for someone else to take up the new leadership role for the next 12 months. I will be standing down as Leader but I will continue to play a part for the next year. I will continue to lead until the meeting of 27^th April, when Council will elect a new leader. The Cabinet will continue until Annual Council on 18^th May.

In the Cabinet, and in the opposition, there are a number of people who have the talent and commitment to take Swale forward over the next few years. I think I have been enormously lucky to have had the backing of the Cabinet over the last three years, and the talent and commitment int that Cabinet. Some said the Coalition wouldn’t last. It has, because the will has been there, and because its members have shown great determination to make it succeed.

And just as I have been lucky with my Cabinet colleagues, I would like to acknowledge the courteous nature of the leader of the opposition but most of all to thank senior officers for their work and forbearance.

I’d like to propose that this Council donates £5k to the Disasters Emergency Committee to relieve the situation in Ukraine.

Thank you Mr Mayor.”

The Leader of the main opposition group thanked the Leader for his statement and seconded the proposal to donate to the Ukraine Relief Fund.  Turning to the announcement that the Leader was stepping down, the Leader of the main opposition group acknowledged how much he had learnt from the Leader when they were both ward members for Homewood ward.  He said there was little difference in being a Conservative or Labour  councillor when the focus was the community and he thanked the Leader, offering his very best wishes for the future.

The Leader of the main opposition group referred to the recent sacking of staff by P & O Ferries and said he was ashamed by their decision.  He said he respected the rights of unions and hoped they would act to support those who were shamefully treated by P&O Ferries.

The Mayor invited other Members to respond.  Several Members spoke of their positive working relationship with the Leader, despite being part of other political groups.  Comments made included:

·         It had been an honour to work as a Cabinet Member alongside the Leader;

·         acknowledged the Leader’s role in setting-up and developing the Environment Committee in the 1990’s;

·         the coalition had been lucky to work under the Leader;

·         the Leader had been a magnificent ambassador;

·         the Leader had brought political parties together and stuck to goals;

·         highlighted the difficult issues the Leader had led the Council through such as, the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of management structure, whilst keeping the finances of the Council stable;

·         the Leader was always respectful, especially to opposition, and treated others as he would wish to be treated;

·         the Leader was highly respected and had integrity; and

·         the Leader had instilled confidence.

In response, the Leader thanked Members.  He said that all five party coalition leaders had shown leadership responsibilities and in listing each Cabinet Portfolio holder, said they worked well as a team.  He said the coalition had worked better than anticipated due to collective good work.  In responding to a Member highlighting the promotion of Sheppey United that week, the Leader acknowledged their success.