Council leader to stand down (From Echo)

Council leader to stand down

8:10am Tuesday 21st April 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(5)

BASILDON Council leader Malcolm Buckley has dramatically stood down after seven years in the hot seat.

Mr Buckley announced he would be leaving the post at a press conference called yesterday afternoon.

The news came hours after Mr Buckley, who was elected council leader in 2002, returned from a break in Sri Lanka.

Mr Buckley, who is the longest serving leader in the council’s history, denied he was standing down because of rifts between Tory councillors.

He said: “In my view it’s been a successful period, but I have decided the time is now right to hand over to my successor.

“There are no differences of opinion between members of the Conservative group and myself.”

Mr Buckley said he wanted to leave in a year when there were no district elections.

He did not want to confuse residents by standing down just after an election, he said.

FULL STORY IN TUESDAY'S ECHO