Council leader breaks his silence on sudden departure of his deputy

Councillor Dan Harrison has broken his silence after a week which has seen the Reform UK leadership group accused of presiding over a ‘shambles’ in the wake of Councillor Joseph Boam’s suden departure from two key roles at County Hall.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Coun Harrison said removing Whitwick councillor Boam from his deputy leader and lead member for adult social care (ASC) positions had the ‘overwhelming’ backing of his fellow Leicestershire Reform UK members.

He also claimed that the 22-year-old was ‘struggling with the understanding’ of the ‘tough’ and ‘demanding’ ASC role.

Councillor Harrison said he needed ‘somebody who can support [him] going forward’ after a week which has seen days of speculation over why the changes had been made and criticism over the group’s handling of the reshuffle from its political opponents.

Opposition councillors have branded the week’s event a ‘shambles’ and accused Reform UK of ‘spinning plates of chaos’, saying they too were left in the dark over what was actually happening.

Under the changes, Kevin Crook, councillor for the ward of Glenfields, Kirby Muxloe and Leicester Forests, will be taking on the deputy leader role and will also head up the new heritage, libraries and adult learning portfolio.

Councillor for Stoney Stanton and Croft, Carl Abbott, will become lead member for adult social care.

Councillor Harrison said: “We reviewed and talked with the director and found that Joe accepted he wasn’t able to do the [ASC] job, not the way it should have been done or whatever the spec was, and I’ve no idea because I haven’t been given a spec.

“He was struggling with the understanding of the role. It’s a tough, demanding role.”

The county leader also denied there was any accuracy to speculation that Councillor Boam had been removed as deputy leader because of policy disagreements between the two of them.

He added: “It’s hard, but I had to do it because I need somebody who can support me as we’re going forward.

“If he’s struggling, he’s struggling, and you have to accept that.

"That was the conclusion, that he wasn’t up to that job, and so we had to take the action.

"It went to the group and the group voted on it. It was overwhelming.”

Councillor Harrison campaigned for election on lowering County Tax bills despite the authority facing enormous financial challenges and hundreds of millions of pounds in savings needed.

But he said was ‘not promising anything’ when asked if this would happen in time for next April.

Among the criticisms levelled at Reform was an alleged lack of communication with opposition groups to keep them informed of the changes, which the leader blamed on Reform UK’s national policies.

The LDRS also spoke to new deputy leader Councillor Crook to ask what he had planned for the role.

He said: “There’s multiple cabinet members that have got some important projects on the go. I want to give them my full support and backing in what they’re doing.”

The LDRS has approached Councillor Boam for a comment on Councillor Harrison’s claims he was ‘struggling’ and ‘was not able to do the job’.

They had not received a response at the time of publication.