PETER Fox OBE, county councillor for Portskewett, has been elected leader of the council’s Conservative group.

Councillor Fox was re-elected for a fifth successive term at last week’s council elections, claiming 491 votes ahead of Welsh Labour candidate Rachel Garrick who secured 369 votes.

Following the election, a meeting of all conservative councillors unanimously elected Cllr Fox as leader of the Conservative group. At the council’s forthcoming annual general meeting he will again be nominated as leader by the controlling Conservative Group.

Cllr Fox commented: “I feel very privileged to be elected again by my colleagues to the position of leader of the group.

“As we move forward we face difficult decisions to align the council to the challenges of providing good public services within reducing budgets.

“Strong and stable leadership is as important for Monmouthshire as it is for the country. We will give that lead.”

Meanwhile, David Davies has been formally readopted as the Monmouth constituency’s Conservative Party parliamentary candidate.

The decision was made by Monmouth Conservative Association members on Wednesday 26th April, with those present unanimously voting in favour of Mr Davies returning to fight the general election on 8th June.