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A rather protracted process saw a new Leader elected today.
The Wiltshire Council Annual Meeting saw three secret ballots.
The first was for Chairman and this ended in a dead-heat. The sitting Chairman used her casting vote in favour of Laura Mayes (Con). There was one abstention.
The second was for Vice-Chairman and this saw a one vote majority for Ruth Hopkinsin (Lib Dem). This time there were two abstentions.
The final one saw all councillors wondering exactly what was going on. There seemed no pattern to the voting but, of course, no one knew how anyone was voting! As the votes were called out by the 'returning officer' it was neck-and-neck between the two main parties. At the end, Ian Thorn (Lib Dem) was elected Leader by a majority of five votes with one abstention.
No decision was made regarding committee chairmen. This was left to be agreed by the five Group Leaders on the council.
The five political groups are Lib Dem, Cinservative, Reform UK, Independent, and Salisbury Independent and Labour.