'My priority will always be standing up for Hartlepool people' says new Hartlepool Borough Council leader Brenda Harrison

Labour claimed nine of the 12 seats on offer when voters went to the polls on May 2, leaving the party with an overall majority of 24 of the 36 seats on the council.

This means councillor Brenda Harrison, leader of Hartlepool’s Labour group, is now the local authority’s leader-elect and she will take over the top political role formally at the annual council meeting on Tuesday, May 21.

She will replace current council leader, Conservative councillor Mike Young, which will mark the end of the Tory and independent coalition-run administration, which has led the council since 2019.

Cllr Harrison said: ‘‘This is not a time for jubilation, but rather a time for getting down to work and delivering for Hartlepool people.

“Times are tough and, as leader of our council, my priority will always be standing up for Hartlepool people in everything we do.

“We are ready to serve our town to get Hartlepool’s future back.’’

It is the first time in Hartlepool Borough Council’s history that a female will be leader and Cllr Harrison is hoping she will not be the last woman to hold the position.

She continued: “I hope that this will send a message to every young girl in our town that there are no limits to your ambitions.

“It is a tremendous honour for me to be our council’s first female leader and the team that we are assembling in Hartlepool will be one that truly reflects our town.”

Cllr Harrison started the week following Labour’s election success by meeting with council managing director Denise McGuckin.

Ensuring local authority finances are on track and sustainable long-term are top of the agenda.

She added: “These are tough times and it is clear, especially in terms of the council’s finances, that we are going to have a difficult inheritance.

“The budget deficit that we have been left with is enormous and our first priority will be to get this under control to ensure the long-term financial stability of the council, so that we can deliver our promises to the people of Hartlepool.”

Other items for discussion included reorganising the council to focus on jobs and growth and the delivery of Labour’s manifesto commitments.