New Labour leader selected at bankrupt council

A council that was bankrupted after a series of failed solar farm investments has elected a new leader.

Lynn Worrall has taken charge of Thurrock Council in Essex and said it was a "responsibility I take extremely seriously".

She replaced her Labour colleague John Kent, who announced his resignation last month and blamed the "disastrous Conservative borrowing and investment policy" for the authority's "precarious position".

Speaking after a council meeting on Wednesday, where a new cabinet was also chosen, Worrall said she was "committed to being open, honest and transparent".

She continued: "The strongest asset this borough has is our wonderful communities; my job is to make sure that those communities have a voice in all that we do and are given all that they need to thrive and grow right here in Thurrock."

Since May 2024, Worrall had been the council's deputy leader.

Thurrock Council went through a major financial crisis following a series of failed investments in solar farms.

It announced a budget gap of nearly £500m and issued a Section 114 notice - the local authority equivalent of bankruptcy.

The authority's former chief finance officer, Sean Clark, resigned from his role in January 2023, leaving them with debts of about £1.5bn.

He was later barred from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants for at least five years.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said he "recklessly provided misleading information to council members, and therefore to the public".

When Kent announced his resignation, he said the council still had debts of about £900m and needed to borrow £74m to meet its budget this year.

He offered his "unequivocal support" to his successor.

Kent will remain in the cabinet, overseeing arts, culture and heritage.

Worrall said it was a "real honour" to take over and said she would make sure all "voices are heard" and "reflected in all that we do".

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