Politics lecturer is county's new leader after dramatic move by NEC

4:46pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

THE leader-elect of a council whose ruling elite have been wracked by wrangles and in-fighting says he is looking forwards, not backwards.

Sunderland University senior politics lecturer Coun Simon Henig, 38, is the new leader of the Labour group on Durham County Council and is almost guaranteed to be formally confirmed as the authority's leader at its annual meeting later this month.

The Oxford-educated academic, who is the deputy leader of Chester le Street District Council and a former agent of North Durham MP Kevan Jones, will lead the authority into the switch to unitary local government.

This will see the creation of a new, all-purpose authority that will do the work currently done by the county council and seven district authorities.

The married father-of-two, who has written several books on politics, was elected at the first group meeting following the May 1 elections, which saw Labour emerge with an eight-seat majority.

He had been expected to face challenges for the 25,700-plus post.

But existing county council leader Coun Albert Nugent, a former miner, and Coun Alan Napier, leader of Easington District Council, were ruled out because they were suspended by party chiefs in a dispute over the number of women candidates fielded in the council elections in Easington.

Newly-elected Coun Peter Brookes, a former county council official, who was part of the Famous Five that backed former Prime Minister Tony Blair in his initial bid to be Sedgefield MP, had also been a contender.

But in the event he stood for the deputy leadership and was beaten by the incumbent Coun Clive Robson, of Consett North.

On the day, Coun Henig faced a challenge from Coun Jean Chaplow, of Deerness Valley, but won by a substantial margin.

Coun Henig, whose wife, Katherine, is a university administrator, and whose children are Samuel, five, and Lucy, two, is probably the youngest leader of the council in living memory.

He said he wanted to lead the council into the new "challenging'' era of unitary government and give a strong voice for County Durham.

Coun Henig said he did not want to comment about the Easington suspensions - neither Coun Napier nor Coun Nugent attended the vote - and said he did not want to "rake over'' past disputes in the Labour group.

"I'm not looking at what's happened, or not happened, in the past, I am talking about the future,'' he said. "I am going forward in the best interests of County Durham.

"We are moving forward. We have a fresh start. We have a huge challenge pulling together what will be the fourth largest unitary council in the country.'' He added that he would wait before deciding whether to commit himself full- time to the post - there is also a 10,500 standard allowance given to all councillors - and leave his university job.

Liberal Democrat leader Coun Nigel Martin congratulated Coun Henig but said Labour had to "get its act together'' as the move to a unitary council drew nearer, for the sake of the county and its people.

"The in-fighting and bickering that has blighted the Labour group at County Hall for the past two years must not be allowed to continue on the new council,'' he said.

Coun Nugent slammed party officials, saying he had been "kicked in the teeth".

Labour's National Executive Committee last Friday suspended Coun Nugent, Coun Napier and three other councillors over allegations they went back on a deal aimed at bringing more women into politics.

Before the Durham County Council elections on May 1, the NEC issued a directive saying there must be a 50-50 split of men and women candidates.

It later accepted the Easington party could field just seven female candidates - four short of the original figure required.

But only four women were put up, prompting the suspension of the entire Easington constituency party.

A two-day preliminary investigation into the affair was completed in Sunderland last Friday).

Afterwards, a Labour spokesman said: "Following an initial investigation, the NEC has today suspended Robert Crute, Audrey Laing, Alan Napier, Alice Naylor and Albert Nugent from holding office or representing the Labour Party.

"The Easington Constituency Labour Party has also been advised that its suspension will be lifted as soon as the constituency party AGM can be arranged by the regional office of the Labour party.

"It's important that these allegations are further investigated and the NEC investigation team will be continuing.

"At the conclusion of this, the NEC will be asked to authorise a full report to be drawn up with recommendations for disciplinary action if appropriate."

A Labour source said having reached a deal with the NEC on the number of women candidates, the five suspended councillors neither spoke in favour of nor voted for the deal at constituency executive or committee meetings, leading to the agreement being rejected.

The source also insisted there was nothing sinister in the timing of the suspension which ruled Coun Nugent out of the leadership contest, claiming the investigation date was agreed before the election.

But Coun Nugent, leader of Durham County Council since 2006, said: "We're standing up for women's rights. The women didn't want to be selected because they were women - they wanted to be selected because of their commitment and on merit."

He added: "I don't think the people of Seaham will be very happy. They elected me to go to County Hall to do a job. They've taken away not only my rights but the rights of the electors. We're in enough bother as it is without creating our own."