Reform UK chooses cabinet after winning control of Nottinghamshire County Council

Reform UK has chosen its cabinet members after taking control of Nottinghamshire County Council.

In the May 2 election, Reform secured a sweeping victory, taking control of the authority from the Conservatives with a clear majority, securing an initial 40 out of 66 available seats.

This has since fallen to 39 after Desmond Clarke, who unseated the Conservative Party’s Keith Girling in Newark West, resigned a week after the election. A by-election will now take place for his seat.

The Conservatives previously held the authority with 34 seats, but now sit as the main opposition with 17 councillors.

The new Nottinghamshire Reform group announced Mick Barton, who represents Mansfield East, as its leader on May 12.

Documents have now been published confirming the deputy leader and cabinet members, ahead of the ruling group’s first Full Council meeting at Oak House on Thursday (May 22).

Dr John Doddy, who represents Stapleford and Broxtowe Central, will become the deputy leader of the council.

He was expelled from the Conservatives after he stood independently against the party for the Broxtowe constituency in the 2024 General Election, before becoming the county council’s first Reform councillor earlier this year.

A majority of decisions about council services are made by the cabinet, as well as the setting of a budget each year and the council’s policies.

Each member has a designated department, such as transport and environment, finance, social care, or education.

The new cabinet, which will be confirmed on Thursday, is as follows:

Martin Wright – Cabinet member for business management.

Barry Answer – Cabinet member for adult social care, alongside his deputy Kelvin Wright

Rory Green – Cabinet member for children and families.

Dawn Justice – Cabinet member for communities and public health.

James Walker-Gurley – Cabinet member for economic development and asset management

Hana John – Cabinet member for education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Stuart Matthews – Cabinet member for finance and resources, and he will be deputised by James Rawson

Bert Bingham – Cabinet member for transport and environment.

A further two of the 66 seats, in Mansfield North, are yet to be decided following the death of Trade Union and Socialist Coalition candidate, Karen Seymour, before the election.

A by-election is expected to take place there on June 12.