BCP Council elects Conservative Drew Mellor as new leader

A new leader has been elected to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council after the previous one was ousted in a vote of no confidence.

Conservative Drew Mellor was elected by 40 votes to 33.

He beat Liberal Democrat Vikki Slade, who was removed after a Tory motion cited "a high level of public frustration" in her administration.

Mr Mellor said he would lead a "collaborative, accountable and fair" council.

Mrs Slade had led the Unity Alliance - made up of Lib Dem, Poole People, Labour, Green and independent councillors - which took control of the newly-formed authority following the 2019 elections.

But the council has been criticised over a number of temporary road closures and pop-up cycle route projects designed as a response to the coronavirus pandemic under the government's Active Travel scheme.

The deaths of two councillors and the departure of an independent further weakened the coalition's position, and in September she lost the motion of no confidence by 39 votes to 33.

After the vote, Mr Mellor said: "We're living in wholly unprecedented and worrying times, it is our job to provide certainty, confidence and optimism to our communities."

He appealed to former Conservatives in Christchurch, who split from the party over the creation of BCP Council, to become a part of his administration.

However, it was rebuffed in a statement from Christchurch Independents, which said: "We stood on a platform in the elections last year that the Tories cannot be trusted to protect Christchurch.

"We stand by that position to retain our political and personal integrity."