New Hartlepool council leader issues promise to people as he takes office
Hartlepool Borough Council is to be led by a Reform UK leadership team after appointments to the top political roles were confirmed.
Councillor Graham Harrison, Burn Valley ward representative, was elected as council leader for the coming year at the local authority’s annual meeting.
Rural West councillor Mike Young, who quit the Conservatives to join Reform in August last year and previously held the council’s top political role in the 2023/24 municipal year, was named as the authority’s deputy leader.
It comes after May’s local elections saw Reform UK become the biggest party on the local authority, with 15 councillors after winning all 12 available seats in the polls.
There was no dissent to the appointments of the new leader and deputy leader from councillors in attendance.
As well as being the council’s first Reform UK leader, Cllr Harrison will also chair the finance and corporate affairs committee and constitution committee, while deputy leader Cllr Young will oversee the planning committee.
Speaking earlier this month after being named leader of the Reform group in Hartlepool, Cllr Harrison said the year ahead was “about rolling our sleeves up and getting on with it”.
He added: “I’ll make sure this council works for the people of our town.”
Also at the annual meeting, Independent councillor Sue Little was named as ceremonial mayor and chair of council, and a formal ceremony to mark her appointment, – and pay tribute to the outgoing mayor – will take place on Tuesday at 6.30pm.
The new Reform minority administration sees representatives of the party hold the majority of committee chair positions on the council.
Councillor Christine Wiley will oversee the adult services and public health committee, councillor Amanda Napper the neighbourhoods and regulatory services committee and councillor Adam Gaines the licensing committee.
Additionally, councillor Rob Darby, who defected from the Conservatives in May 2025, will chair the housing, growth and communities committee.
Independents councillors Jim Lindridge and Aaron Roy will chair the children’s services committee and Hartlepool health and wellbeing board respectively.
Meanwhile, Labour’s councillor Michael Jorgeson will chair the audit and governance committee, which promotes internal governance and scrutiny.
The council is now made up of 15 Reform UK councillors, 14 Labour representatives and seven independents.