Reform UK selects its leader for Leicestershire County Council after election success

The party became the biggest group on Leicestershire County Council at the local elections on Thursday, May 1, securing 25 of the authority’s 55 seats.

Its victory meant the end of more than two decades of continuous Conservative leadership in the county. However, the group did not secure enough seats to take overall control of the council.

It will lead the authority from a minority position after both the Tories and Liberal Democrats – who secured 15 and 11 seats respectively – ruled out doing a deal. Now, more than a week on from the vote, Reform UK has revealed that Dan Harrison will be leading the group and, by extension, is set to be the new leader of the council.

Cllr Harrison, who represents Ashby, has been an elected member of the county council since 2017 and previously sat as a Conservative on the authority. He defected to Reform in the months before this year’s vote.

He said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to have been elected leader of the Reform UK group on Leicestershire County Council. What we have achieved here is incredible. From a standing start we are now the largest party on the council. The people of Leicestershire have given this council a clear mandate for serious change.”

His deputy on the authority will be Joseph Boam, the new councillor for Whitwick. The authority will meet for the first time since the election on Wednesday (May 14) to formally appoint its new leader and cabinet.