We would like to congratulate Cllr Tom Cunningham on becoming the new Leader of Braintree District Council, succeeding Cllr Graham Butland, who stood down from the role and as Leader of the Conservative Group on Thursday, 28 May, after more than 20 years of dedicated service.
Cllr Cunningham has been a Braintree District Council Member for 15 years and brings more than 11 years of senior leadership experience to the position. During this time, he has overseen a number of key Cabinet portfolios and has served as Deputy Leader of the Council since 2019. Over the past three years, he has also held senior positions at Essex County Council, operating at a broader strategic level and overseeing services at greater scale.
Cllr Tom Cunningham, Leader of Braintree District Council, said: “As someone who has called Braintree home all my life, it is a huge honour and privilege to be nominated for this role. I would like to thank my colleagues for their support and pay tribute to Cllr Butland for his many years of dedicated service and leadership. His commitment to the council and district has left a strong and lasting legacy.
"We are a well-run, low tax council with a strong commitment to supporting our communities and businesses, and I am determined to build on that success. With clear priorities and a strong foundation in place, my focus will be on working with councillors and officers to deliver improvements residents can see in their everyday experience of council services. At the same time, we will lead from the front in preparing for local government reorganisation - working proactively with our partners to ensure a smooth transition while continuing to deliver high quality services to residents.”
