THE ruling party at the region’s largest authority has achieved gender parity for the first time – albeit briefly.
Following local authority elections earlier this month, the Labour party at Durham County Council had 37 female councillors and 37 male councillors.
However, the resignation of Dawdon councillor Leanne Kennedy – who had to quit 10 days after being elected after it emerged she was ineligible to stand – means there are currently 36 Labour women at the council.
Speaking at the newly-elected authority’s first meeting, Cllr John Robinson said: “We have achieved equal representation from both male and female members.”
He added that when Cllr Simon Henig first became leader of the authority in 2008, the county council had only six female members.
In total, Durham County Council, which has 126 members, has 51 women councillors.
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