Charnwood Borough Council has a new leader and new mayor

Councillor Jewel Miah was voted in as the leader of the council.

At a Council meeting last night a new leader of Charnwood Borough Council was elected as well as a new Mayor of the borough.

Councillor Jewel Miah was voted in and the Labour group, which he leads, became the Council’s ruling administration.

Cllr Miah said: “It is an honour and privilege to lead Charnwood Borough Council. I can commit to residents that I will be doing my very best for the borough and its local communities.

“I would like to thank everyone for their support in recent weeks, but we must now focus on the task at hand and that’s ensuring the Council delivers the services people want and need, and that they are making a positive difference to local communities.

“The Labour administration is committed to delivering its manifesto over the next four years including supporting residents through the cost of living crisis.

"Our priority now is to work with senior officers on how we deliver on those pledges. This is the start of the journey and will take time, but we are passionate and committed to making a positive difference.

“We will also be committed to working with councillors across the borough as this is very much about doing what is right for Charnwood. We will also be working with partners, residents, and local businesses because collaboration will be key to any success.”

Following the local elections on the 4th of May, the Labour Group have 20 councillors, while the Conservatives have 23. There are also eight Green Party councillors and one Independent.

A report to the meeting set out that no political group has overall control of the Council, but an agreement had been reached between the Labour Group with Green Party councillors to support a minority Labour administration.

At the meeting at Loughborough Town Hall, the vote to elect Cllr Miah as the new Council Leader was 28 in favour, 22 against and two abstained.

Cllr Miah has served on the Council since 2007. He lives in Loughborough, in the ward he serves – Loughborough East – and has a professional background in retail and hospitality. He is married with three children.

At the same event, Cllr Margaret Smidowicz was sworn in as Mayor of Charnwood for 2023/24.

Cllr Smidowicz is now the 50th Mayor of Charnwood and is a councillor for the Loughborough Nanpantan ward.

The Mayor said: “This is an immensely proud moment for both myself and my family and I look forward to representing Charnwood as the 50^th Mayor as we go into the first year of the Carolean era.

“Charnwood is a fantastic place and it will be great to meet lots of different people and to see the good work that they do in our community.”

The Mayor’s chosen charities for her Mayoral year are Men & Women in Sheds and Head & Neck Cancer Awareness, The Swallows and Cancer Self Help Group, Loughborough.