Ray Nock has been selected as Reform UK leader on Sandwell Council.The party has a majority meaning Nock will be elected leader of the council at the next full council meeting.
Labour had controlled the authority since 1979. Reform UK took 41 seats out of a possible 72.
Speaking after Reform’s victory in Sandwell, Nock said “I want to turn the ship. It’s been going into a storm now for 20, 30 years.
“We’ve got social deprivation issues that are shocking. We’ve got health issues that are shocking. Education and housing issues that are shocking, and we’ve got to make a change.”
Outgoing Labour council leader Kerry Carmichael said: “It worries me what’s going to happen, I know the people of Blackheath can be quite demanding as well.
“Hopefully these guys will step up and do the right thing for these people, including myself because they’re my councillors now.”
Reporting History sees journalists join News At Ten anchor Tom Bradby to revisit their remarkable on-the-day reports of the defining events of the modern age. Listen to the episodes below…