New Forest councillor reveals ambitions for top job after Tory leader announces resignation

BROCKENHURST councillor Keith Mans has told the A&T he is “highly likely” to contest the leadership of Hampshire County Council after top Conservative Cllr Roy Perry announced his resignation.

Cllr Perry revealed to last week’s full council meeting his intention to stand down in May saying it was a “good and appropriate time” to hand over the reins.

The member for Romsey Rural has been in charge since 2013 when he took over from the late Cllr Ken Thornber, who represented Brockenhurst before his death in 2017.

One of the first to put his name into the ring for the leadership was Cllr Mans, who is currently the ruling Tory group’s deputy leader and cabinet member for children's services.

Cllr Perry named Cllr Mans for special thanks in his resignation statement in which he stressed he was still in “good health”.

Cllr Mans said: “I have spoken to a number of my colleagues at the county council over the last few days and it is highly likely that I will stand for the leadership of the Conservative group at the county council when we have our annual general meeting at the beginning of May.”

Cllr Mans has been a county councillor since winning the Lyndhurst division in 2009 and later representing Brockenhurst. Before that he was MP for Wyre from the 1987 general election until the seat was abolished in 1997.

He added: “Roy Perry has for some time said he would not be leading Conservative councillors into the next county election in 2021 and felt this May was a good time to step down to allow his successor enough time to prepare the party for this election in two years’ time.”

Cllr Mans is currently the only New Forest councillor in HCC’s ruling cabinet to put his name forward after Cllr Mel Kendal, of New Milton, and Cllr Edward Heron, Lyndhurst and Fordingbridge, said they would not be standing.

Cllr Heron, in charge of countryside and rural affairs, did not rule it out completely but told the A&T he did not “anticipate” contesting the leadership.

He is currently deputy leader at New Forest District Council and a member of the national park authority.

Cllr Kendal, who holds HCC’s economic development brief, said he would not be standing and added: “I should say I am very sad to see [Cllr Perry] go. He has been outstanding.”

Cllr Perry, who was an MEP from 1994-2004, was first elected to Hampshire County Council in 2005. He said he would stay on the backbenches until retiring at the next county elections in May 2021.

His political career began with an unsuccessful run for Eastleigh Borough Council in 1969, where he later won a seat in 1970.

Since then he has also been leader of Test Valley Borough Council and a parish councillor at Wellow where he lives with his daughter Caroline Noakes who is MP for the Romsey and Southampton North seat.

Cllr Perry said: “By standing down now at a time of my own choosing and at the mid-point of the county electoral period, I will give my successor two clear years to guide Hampshire in the period up to the next county elections in 2021.

“The majority Conservative group will have good time to prepare for the election of my successor as group leader, and by making the announcement now I want to avoid any overlap with the district council elections in May, or any issues in parliament.”

He added: “I am fortunate to continue to enjoy good health but judge now is a good and appropriate time to allow a new leader to take over the reins.

“All local government is under pressure, but Hampshire County Council has faced up to those pressures better than most and is widely admired. I can confidently hand over to my successor a council and county in excellent shape.

“With the help of MPs and others we successfully rebuffed schemes to break this county into two.

“I won’t mind being remembered as the man who saved Hampshire as a county.”