By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter
The prospective new leader of Southampton City Council has been revealed.
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Members of the Southampton Labour group have elected Cllr Alex Winning as their new group leader.
Cllr Winning is set to formally become leader of the local authority at the next full council meeting on July 16.
The Labour group said he brought a wealth of “experience, passion, and a deep-rooted commitment” to public service.
He will succeed Cllr Lorna Fielker, who last month announced she would be standing down as leader to focus on attempting to become the Labour candidate in the regional mayor election, which is due to take place next year.
Cllr Winning (right) said: “It’s an honour to be elected leader of the Labour group and to have the opportunity to lead our city at such an important time.
“I want to build on the foundations we’ve laid – protecting vital services, creating opportunity, and delivering pride in our communities.
“I believe in a Southampton where no one is left behind, and I’m committed to working with residents, partners, and councillors across the city to make that a reality.”
The incoming leader, who is a ward member for Shirley, has served in cabinet for the past couple of years as the lead member with responsibility for children and learning.
During his early time in this role, the local authority’s children’s services achieved an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’, with the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families graded ‘Outstanding’.
Labour said his leadership will focus on continuing to stable council finances, investing in the city’s future and tackling inequalities in Southampton.
In her 18 months as leader, Cllr Fielker (left) oversaw the roll out of an extensive transformation programme to fix the local authority’s finances.
The programme is ongoing but was seen as critical in delivering multi-million-pound savings in the 2024/25 financial year.
She was also heavily involved in the creation of the renaissance vision for the regeneration of the city centre and establishment of a new city-wide partnership plan, which features five missions for Southampton over the next decade.
Photos of councillors: LDRS
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