By Jamie Shapiro, Local Democracy Reporter
Cllr Dan Fitzhenry, the leader of the Conservative opposition on Southampton City Council, has announced that he will not be standing in May’s local elections.
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A councillor for Harefield ward, Fitzhenry has served on the city council for 16 years and says he will miss the “cut and thrust” of Southampton politics as he “moves onto the next chapter”
He said: “After deep reflection, I have decided to not put my name forward as a councillor for the Harefield ward this May at the local elections.
“Having been involved in politics since 2001 when I was elected the city’s first member of the youth parliament at age 15, I subsequently joined the Conservative party in 2004 – and was first elected in May 2008 to the council for the Harefield ward.
“Since May 2018, for nearly a combined six years, I have also had the pleasure to lead my Conservative colleagues on the council.
He will continue to represent Harefield on the council, and to lead the Conservative opposition until the local elections, when a new Conservative leader will be announced.
He says he will also continue to ‘ensure thorough scrutiny’ of the Labour administration during the ‘challenging times’.