Cotswold District Council Leader to stand down after six years in role
Councillor Joe Harris, Leader of Cotswold District Council, has announced that he will stand down as Leader of the Council in May.
The decision will allow him to focus on his other roles, mainly as Vice Chair and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at the Local Government Association (LGA), an organisation which represents councils across England and Wales. He will remain as a District Councillor in Cirencester.
Cllr Joe Harris, who has served as Leader of the Council since 2019, said, “It has been the honour of my life to serve as Leader of Cotswold District Council and to lead the area in which I was raised. I love living here and seeing many of my friends fleeing the area we grew up in because of high housing costs has always driven me as Leader to make a difference. I feel proud to have played a small part in delivering more affordable housing and supporting people with the cost of living, particularly when they needed it the most.
“Leading the Council through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis has been demanding, yet incredibly rewarding. I am proud of our brilliant communities, and, of course, our dedicated council staff, whose efforts have been so important in overcoming many hurdles.
“There are lots of changes happening within local government, and now feels like the right time to shift my focus towards the sector. The Government is pursuing plans to restructure local government by replacing district and county councils with large unitary authorities, and my role at the Local Government Association is key in making sure this is done properly and with local communities in mind. I look forward to devoting more of my time to this role while continuing to serve as a District and County Councillor to my hometown of Cirencester.”
The Liberal Democrat Group will now start a process to elect a new Group Leader who will become the next Leader of Cotswold District Council at the Council’s annual meeting on Wednesday 21st May 2025. Cllr Harris will remain as Leader of the Council until then.