VETERAN councillor Bill Stephenson has been selected as the new leader of the Labour group on Harrow Council.
The 69-year-old ward member for Headstone South has taken over from Councillor Navin Shah, who has had to step aside after becoming London Assembly member for Harrow and Brent at last month's local government elections.
Mr Stephenson assumes the top spot having been deputy group leader. His old position has been given to Councillor Phillip O'Dell, who represents Wealdstone and is the opposition spokesman on the environment.
Speaking after the appointment Mr Stephenson said: "I am honoured to have been elected as leader and I have a very difficult act to follow.
"But it has been a very smooth transition and I am fortunate in having a group which has, ever since I have been a member, been united.
"We will continue to make positive contributions to policy making and we are very disappointed at the arrogant high handed way the current administration has conducted its affairs.
"We will support measures which we think benefit the people of Harrow and continue to fight tooth and nail to defend frontline services such as social care, housing, education and services for the most vulnerable.
"It is time the current administration listened to what people really want rather than bulldozing public opinion to push through their own policies at a long term cost to Harrow residents."
All the appointments were confirmed on Monday evening at a private meeting of the Labour group. Mr Stephenson, who was elected to the council in May 1998, served as the portfolio holder for education and lifelong learning in the latter years of the former Labour administration until the party lost power in 2006.
His colleague Mr O'Dell joined the authority in 1990 and left in 1994. He returned to the council in 1998 and became, during the Labour administration, the environment portfolio holder.
The ruling Conservative administration has 37 councillors, the opposition Labour group 24 and the Liberal Democrats boast two.
