Cllr Kevin Foster has pledged that Coventry Conservatives will listen to the message sent by local voters last week after being elected as Leader of the Conservative Group, following the retirement of Cllr Ken Taylor who had held this position since 2003.
Cllr Foster is looking to bring a fresh approach to the way the group works with local people and ensure its focus is firmly on the issues that count to local residents. In doing this he will be supported by Cllr John Blundell who has been elected Deputy Leader of the Group. Both Kevin and John were elected unopposed.
Commenting on his election as Leader, Kevin said: "I am touched by the confidence which has been shown in me by my colleagues in the conservative group. The results last week were highly disappointing and much worse than we expected. One of my first priorities as Leader will be to work with my colleagues in the wards concerned to get a clear understanding of what we need to do to win back their confidence. In doing so we must be prepared to critically examine our own performance and not just blame external factors.”
He continued: “Becoming Leader at a time like this is not an easy task and I am pleased that in taking on this important work I will be supported by my colleague and friend Cllr John Blundell. I know from talking to John he has some clear ideas about how we need to reconnect as a group and a passion for ensuring we win back the trust of those voters we lost last week.”
He concluded: “Finally I would like to pay tribute to the enormous contribution made to Coventry by Cllr Ken Taylor. His Leadership over the last 8 years not only steered us through a challenging time in control of the City Council, but also saw him play a pivotal role in reforming how local government works in the West Midlands. It is an honor to follow in his footsteps as Leader, although I know he will still be making his presence felt campaigning on behalf of his constituents in Earlsdon.”