City council leader to go before the end of the year

Julie Dore, the leader of Sheffield City Council has resigned from the role after almost a decade in charge.

Cllr Dore was originally elected to the council at the turn of the Millennium before becoming the city council leader in 2011.\

She had originally announced in January that she would be stepping down and not seeking reelection in May’s subsequently cancelled elections. As a result of this she stayed on as council leader to help manage Sheffield’s response to the ongoing pandemic

However it has now been confirmed that she will depart and that the Labour Group, which controls the city council, will elect a new leader on 7 December.

This news means that city council will be entering a new year under new stewardship as not only will there be a new leader but its new chief executive, Kate Josephs will be joining the organisation in January 2021.

Cllr Dore said: “When I announced in January that I would not be seeking re-election in May, no one could have predicted the events that were about to unfold over the coming months.

“When the Covid crisis hit in March and the local elections were cancelled I thought it was the only right and responsible thing to do to stay on to help navigate Sheffield through the crisis.

“Clearly this is still far from over and we still have much more to do to beat this. But I think that now is the right time to allow a new leader to take over, as we enter a new year and a new chief executive will also be starting in January.”

She added that it has been “such a great honour” to serve her community as a councillor for 20 years.

“I have always said that for me Sheffield is the best place in the world, I have lived here all my life, raised my family here and there is no where else I would ever want to live. I would like to thank everyone who I have worked with in this time, it is the people of Sheffield who make this city what it is and it has been a privilege to serve them.”