Council leader stepping down after 10 years

The leader of Bassetlaw District Council has announced he is stepping down.

Labour councillor Simon Greaves has led the Nottinghamshire authority, as well as the Bassetlaw Labour group, for a decade.

His decision comes ahead of local elections in May 2023.

Mr Greaves said he wanted to allow the party time to “identify a new leader and crystallise its ambitions and priorities for the future”.

He is expected to formally hand over the Labour group leadership at a full council meeting on 22 September, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Greaves said it had been "the greatest honour" to lead the council and Labour group, and he was "immensely proud" of what had been achieved.

He praised the authority for creating jobs, opportunities, a skills hub, its council housebuilding programme, and supporting rough sleepers and vulnerable residents.

Last month, Mr Greaves said he intended to run to become Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate but on Monday he confirmed he had withdrawn his application due to the need for “greater diversity in Parliament”.