Councillor Yvonne Gagen is the new Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council.

The Labour councillor, formerly Deputy Leader and portfolio holder for Leisure and Human Resources, was voted into office at a meeting of the Full Council and has now taken up the reins from the outgoing Leader Ian Moran, with Councillor Gareth Dowling selected as Deputy Leader.

Councillor Gagen said: "I am delighted and honoured to have been selected as the new Leader of the Council. I am committed to leading from the front as well as working with all parties despite our political differences towards what is best for our residents.

"We have ambitious plans for the Borough, including two new Health & Wellbeing hubs, which I am proud to have championed as portfolio holder for Leisure and I will continue to push for positive change across West Lancashire while steering the Borough through the current cost of living crisis towards a more prosperous future.

"I would also like to thank Ian Moran for his years of dedicated service to the people of the Borough and for his leadership through some very difficult times, not least the COVID pandemic. He was dedicated to our residents and tangibly improved their lives and prospects through his leadership. I wish him and his family the very best for the future."

Following the meeting Our West Lancashire issued this PR: 'At the annual borough council meeting last night, only Our West Lancashire proposed that all groups pulled together for the sake of the residents of West Lancashire and worked in an all-party cabinet.

With war in Europe; inflation hitting 10%; fuel bills rocketing and many people struggling to make ends meet, local councillors should be setting aside differences as much as possible and working together.

It's a pity that Labour and Conservative tribalism prevented that.

Cllr Yvonne Gagen (Labour) elected Leader of the Council and installed a Labour cabinet.
Labour opposed any attempts to give any committee chairmanships to Conservative or OWL seeking every chairmanship for Labour.

However, committee chairmanships were split among the 3 political groups after narrow votes on each occasion, some going to the casting vote of the new Mayor, Cllr Marilyn Westley.'

*Owl Cllr Kate Michell was elected Deputy Mayor.