A new leader of Hartlepool Borough Council has been elected by councillors.

Councillor Dave Bruce, who represents the Fens and Greatham ward for Reform UK, was elected at an extraordinary full council meeting and takes up the position with immediate effect.

He replaces councillor Graham Harrison, who resigned as leader earlier this month, after only months in charge, due to a change in his personal circumstances.

Cllr Bruce, who was elected to the council in May, was elected as council leader uncontested as there were no alternative nominations.

Councillor Dave Bruce is the new leader of Hartlepool Borough Council.

placeholder image — Councillor Dave Bruce is the new leader of Hartlepool Borough Council.

He brings with him significant experience from a career in the engineering and manufacturing sectors, where he has held senior leadership positions, and continues to work in a senior operations role.

He said being appointed council leader was a “real honour” and paid tribute to outgoing council leader, Cllr Harrison, who he said had “done a really positive job of leading the new administration and setting the policy direction for the council”.

“He has helped establish strong foundations and I very much intend to build on that good work,” Cllr Bruce added.

“My priority now is to ensure the council continues moving forward with a clear focus on delivering for residents.”

The new council leader said the council was facing some “significant challenges”, including the local authority’s financial position, and noted “restoring financial stability must be our number one priority over the coming months”.

He continued: “We are currently projecting an overspend of more than £5 million in the current financial year, driven in large part by the increasing number of children entering the care system.

“Since May, I have been leading detailed reviews of the council’s budgets and I want to build on this work by looking at how services are delivered, identifying where we can do things differently and making sure we achieve the maximum possible benefit for residents.

“Every pound spent by the council is taxpayers’ money and we have a responsibility to ensure it is spent wisely and delivers value for money.

“Finance is the foundation of any successful organisation and we must do everything we can to put the council on a sustainable footing for the future.

“At the same time, there is no doubt that we need additional funding from the Government and I want residents to know that I will give it my all to secure the support Hartlepool needs.”

The new council leader’s second key priority is implementing the council’s new leader and cabinet governance model as the council “follows the Government’s direction to move away from the committee system”.

Cllr Bruce said the changes would “provide clearer accountability, stronger leadership and more streamlined decision-making” and stressed the importance of making the transition successfully and “ensuring the new arrangements support our ambition to deliver better outcomes for local people”.

He added: “My career has given me a strong interest in transformation and finding better ways of doing things.

“I want to see us build a council that is efficient, modern and easy for residents to access, while ensuring services remain focused on the needs of local people.

“There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, but I am looking forward to the challenge and to working with councillors, officers, partners and residents to deliver positive change for Hartlepool.”