Conservatives on East Riding of Yorkshire Council have Ousted Jonathan Owen as their Leader

Cllr Owen, who had led the Conservative group and East Riding Council since 2021, has been replaced with his deputy Anne Handley.

It comes after the party lost their majority control of the council following the local elections last week.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that Cllr Owen was narrowly defeated by Cllr Handley at the group’s AGM today (Thursday).

Cllr Handley was first elected to the council in the all-out local elections in 2019. She held the enterprise and digital transformation brief in the cabinet of Richard Burton, Cllr Owen’s predecessor, before beginning a stint on the back benches after the Cllr Owen took power in 2021.

Cllr Handley defeated Mike Medini in the race to become deputy leader in 2022. Outside of politics, she is director of the Victoria Pleasure Ground Community Interest Company (CIC) and was a founder of the Two Rivers Community Pantry, which supports struggling households with food.

Cllr Charlie Dewhirst, who was elected as deputy leader, said their first job would be to bring together a group that could run the council effectively.

Cllr Owen said tonight that Cllr Handley had his full support. He told LDRS:

“It’s been a pleasure to lead the Conservative group and council.

“The new Group leader, Anne Handley, whom I have worked with as my deputy, has my 100 per cent support moving forward in very different and challenging times. I will use my experience in any way going forward in the best interests of the East Riding residents.”

The change in leadership comes after the Conservatives fell five seats short of a majority following the election last Thursday – though they remain the largest party with 29 out of 67 seats.

The Liberal Democrats increased their share to 22, with Labour on four, the Yorkshire Party on three and nine independents.

The various groups have begun talks to try to get the support required to elect a council leader and deputy at the authority’s annual general meeting next week.

LDRS understands that Cllr Handley, who represents Goole North and has been deputy leader of the council since last year, beat Cllr Owen by a narrow margin.

Cllr Dewhirst, who has represented the East Wolds and Coastal ward since 2021, beat rival Cllr David Tucker for the deputy leadership.

The incoming deputy leader said he hoped to bring his previous experience of eight years on a local authority in London to bear in his new role.

Cllr Dewhirst said:

“I’m absolutely delighted, it’s a really wonderful opportunity.

“Our first job is to bring together a group that can run the council efficiently and effectively. We’ve just our AGM so at this stage Anne will be taking the lead on that.

“Beyond that we’ve got to continue to deliver excellent council services and work to try and keep more money in taxpayers’ pockets and create opportunities for all through education and the economy.

“Jonathan is my ward colleague, he’s someone I’ve known for a long time, I know he’ll be disappointed by the result but he shouldn’t be disheartened, he’s achieved a lot as leader and as deputy leader before that.”

Cllr Owen was a long-serving deputy leader of the Conservatives and the council, under first Steve Parnaby and then former councillor Burton. He led a successful coup against the latter in 2021 and went on to lead the council through the back end of the coronavirus pandemic and into the cost of living crisis.

Cllr Owen also presided over the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Peer Challenge, which found unelected officers held too much power and made allegations of bullying in the authority, which he denied. The LGA later found the council was moving in the right direction in becoming more member-led.

Cllr Owen’s tenure also saw Ofsted upgrade the council’s children’s services to a rating of Good, after they were deemed inadequate in March 2020.