New South Ribble leader has 'just enough mischief' for the job
The new leader of South Ribble Borough Council has pledged to listen to anyone who wants to question and scrutinise his decisions.
Matthew Tomlinson made the promise as he took the reins of the Labour-run authority during a meeting of the full council.
He was voted in to the top job after Jacky Alty stepped down, having spent just under a year in the role.
As the Lancashire Post revealed earlier this month, Cllr Alty moved aside after concluding her colleague was “better placed” to lead South Ribble through a forthcoming government-ordered overhaul of the way Lancashire’s council system operates.
Officially handing over to Cllr Tomlinson during the meeting, she said her successor boasted “just the right amount of mischief which I consider…essential…for this role”.
Cllr Tomlinson – who represents the Broadfield ward and has sat on the authority since 1999 – said he was “genuinely humbled” by the gesture.
“It takes a big person to do what Jacky did and I will be forever in awe of the way she has handled this whole situation,” he said, adding that she had done “a fine job” while in charge.
The new leader – who recently lost his Leyland Central seat on Lancashire County Council, where he had been at the helm of the Labour opposition group for a year – said his style had always been “collegiate and collaborative”.
“I’m here to lead, but I’m here to listen.
“There is never a policy of a council that isn't approved by the appropriate amount of scrutiny. And so if people want to question my decisions [or]... want to put forward ideas before we all even come to a decision, then I’m a leader who will listen,” said Cllr Tomlinson, who has been in charge of the authority's finances since 2019.
He will now take on the strategy and reform portfolio within cabinet, while his previous role as the member for finance and assets has been handed to Cllr Wes Roberts (Buckshaw and Worden).
Meanwhile, Cllr Alty – who will remain on the cabinet as the member for customer services and digital – reflected on the sometimes contradictory forces exerted on leaders who wanted to uphold the seven so-called “Nolan principles” governing standards in public life.
“Openness…that single world means something so different to everyone. Sometimes, being open means admitting that you don’t have all the answers – often viewed as a weakness by those who are convinced of their own argument and skills,” she said.
“I’ve learned that integrity often means holding the line when it’s far easier to compromise when others wish to dominate or insist that their way is the only way.
“Objectivity isn’t just about facts and figures – it’s about hearing the voices that aren’t always the loudest [and] considering lived experience as valuable – particularly when it doesn’t relate to your own.”