Former council chief resigns as Conservative leader

Cllr Martin Hill OBE is stepping down as leader of the Conservative group on Lincolnshire County Council.

The Tories saw their majority on the authority decimated by Reform in last week’s local elections losing 40 seats. It is now second largest political grouping with 14 seats.

As head of the Conservative group Cllr Hill had also been the leader of the council for 20 years – he managed to hold on to his Folkingham Rural seat and will stay on the body but told BBC News he was handing over the reins to ‘fresh blood’.

The 44 new Reform councillors now have control of the largest authority in Greater Lincolnshire, which has an annual budget of £690 million providing services such as adult care, education, fire and rescue, roads and recycling.