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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| LGA chair Sir Merrick Cockell steps down as council leader | LGA chair Sir Merrick Cockell steps down as council leader |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the LGA, has announced that he is stepping down as leader of the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea. | Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the LGA, has announced that he is stepping down as leader of the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea. |
| The elected leader since 2000 will remain as chairman of the Local Government Association for a further year and serve the Stanley Ward as one of their elected representatives on the council. | The elected leader since 2000 will remain as chairman of the Local Government Association for a further year and serve the Stanley Ward as one of their elected representatives on the council. |
| The communities secretary, Eric Pickles, paid tribute to him, saying, "I have worked with Sir Merrick for many years and he is a true public servant and local champion." | The communities secretary, Eric Pickles, paid tribute to him, saying, "I have worked with Sir Merrick for many years and he is a true public servant and local champion." |
| "Under his leadership, the council has achieved some incredible things for the residents of Kensington and Chelsea. The tri-borough initiative he helped spearhead is a shining example of shared services savings to all in local government." | "Under his leadership, the council has achieved some incredible things for the residents of Kensington and Chelsea. The tri-borough initiative he helped spearhead is a shining example of shared services savings to all in local government." |
| Cockell has been the driving force behind the largest building programme in Kensington and Chelsea. He has also personally led the campaign for a new secondary school in Chelsea and has helped rebuild Holland Park School. | |
| He said: "It's been my good fortune to work alongside an unusually talented and dedicated group of councillors and officers." | He said: "It's been my good fortune to work alongside an unusually talented and dedicated group of councillors and officers." |
| "Together, I think we have done a good job for our residents. Our services have been excellent, our taxes low. And in the days when there was a lot more money around we didn't squander it, but used it wisely to build for the future." | "Together, I think we have done a good job for our residents. Our services have been excellent, our taxes low. And in the days when there was a lot more money around we didn't squander it, but used it wisely to build for the future." |
| The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, recently appointed Cockell to the deputy chairmanship of the London Pensions Fund Authority. A new leader will be elected by the council on 22 May. | |
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