Labour Group on council now has female leadership following post-poll party shake-up

                                                      

Cllr Wheatley now heads the Labour opposition group on North East Lincolnshire Council

A SHAKE-UP of the Labour Group on North East Lincolnshire Council has seen a woman take over as leader.

Kathryn Wheatley, who represents the West Marsh ward, succeeds Matthew Patrick (Heneage ward).

The latter has paid the price for under-performance of the party which, unlike in the rest of the country, made little headway in this month's local elections, winning just one seat from the Conservatives who remain firm control.

At the turn of the century, Ms Wheatley was a member of the NELC administration when it was under the control of Labour, with her father, Peter, serving a deputy council leader to the late Len Taylor.    

That ended in tears when local affairs were run so chaotically that the Government had to step in to sort things out.  

On one of her social media accounts, the new leader describes herself as "as a fan of chocolate, football, politics and animals".