Botterill wins H&F Leadership

Nick Botterill: able to get on with people

Nick Botterill has won the leadership contest to take on the mantle of H&F Council's top man. He is currently the Deputy Leader and for a long time has been viewed as a leading contender although I understand a challenge was always in the offing from Cllr Andrew Johnson, the Cabinet Member for Housing.

Personally I am delighted by Nick's win. Of the borough's top Tories he is in my view the most obviously equipped to take on what is going to be a tough job. Unlike many of his colleagues, and certainly unlike the bulldozer that was Stephen Greenhalgh, Nick has a relaxed and respectful demeanour and doesn't feel the need to express his authority by bellowing and braying. And for that I think he gains a great deal more respect.

My own dealings with him have been limited but on the occasions when I have approached him he has always responded both quickly, fairly and usually with very swift action that has resolved the issue. Such as his kicking the bottoms of some contractors who left the Green in a mess with some botched works as soon as it was featured here, and his action over the blockages caused by Thames Water (the purveyors of eternal drought) when they were performing interminable road works on the seven stars corner at the bottom of the Askew Road.

He'll have a big in-tray, but he'll have known that because he's been integrally involved in every major strategic direction the council has taken in recent years. These include the future of the Goldhawk Terrace, the West Ken Estate and the White City regeneration, which I assume Mr Greenhalgh is not now going to take on. I don't envisage him performing any large scale u-turns on any of those (sadly) but I do think he will approach future large scale projects with a great deal more tact, common sense and a desire to take people with him.

Good luck Nick!