Second contender for Nottinghamshire County Council leader as final decision nears

The race to succeed Ben Bradley as Nottinghamshire County Council's leader continues after a second person threw their hat into the ring. Nottinghamshire Live understands Councillor Richard Jackson, currently serving as the cabinet member for finance, is in the running to lead the authority.

Councillor Jackson joins Councillor Sam Smith, who became the first to confirm that he was running in the race. The contest was triggered after Ben Bradley announced on November 6 that he was resigning as county council leader, having held the position since 2021.

Councillor Bradley will officially step down at the next full meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council on December 5. Whoever succeeds him will have less than 150 days until the May 2025 local elections, when opposition parties will be vying to take control of the county council away from the Conservatives.

Get the latest news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp

It is understood that Sunday (November 24) is the last day for those interested in becoming leader to put their name forward. The leader is being selected by the 34 councillors making up the county council's Conservative group, given that the party controls the authority.

The final vote is then expected to take place at a meeting of the county council's Conservative group on Monday (November 25) before the leader then officially takes office on December 5. Councillor Jackson, who has been contacted for comment, has had one of the biggest cabinet responsibilities in recent years.

In charge of finance and resources, Councillor Jackson's position means he has presented the county council's most recent budgets. First elected to the authority in 2002, Councillor Jackson also served on Broxtowe Borough Council.

The former Conservative group leader at Broxtowe ended up being swept off that authority in 2023 after losing a tie-break vote. Councillor Smith, aged 27, would become one of the country's youngest council leaders if selected.

The cabinet member for education and SEND previously said: "[Conservative members] know by voting for me, they're voting for a campaigner who's as committed as they are to delivering for their residents and they know they're voting for somebody who's got experience in the cabinet."