Sam Smith Formally Elected as Nottinghamshire County Council Leader

Sam Smith, at 27 years old, has become one of the youngest council leaders in the country. The Conservative councillor was formally voted in as the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council on Thursday, succeeding former Mansfield MP Ben Bradley. Speaking to the BBC, Smith asserted that he is not a career politician. He stated, “Absolutely not. I got involved in politics because I went to a school that was delivering a poor quality of education and the only reason I had to go to that school and couldn’t go to the better school down the road was because of the catchment areas”. Smith mentioned that his political involvement began at age 13, when he started advocating for improved educational standards. Subsequently, he was elected to Gedling Borough Council in 2019, followed by Nottinghamshire County Council in 2021. When questioned about potential future parliamentary aspirations, he responded, “that’s down to the electorate”. He further commented: “My job here now, right now, is to lead this county council and I will be focused purely on that between now and the [local] election, and post-election should the Conservatives win a majority.” The council he now leads, similar to numerous other local authorities, has projected multi-million pound budget deficits for the upcoming years. Smith indicated that cabinet members are “looking at their departments” to identify efficiencies. He expressed an expectation that a balanced budget for the next financial year would be achievable, with additional information anticipated in February. He also noted that adjustments to employer national insurance contributions and an increase in the National Living Wage, both announced in the UK budget in October, have introduced over £30 million in additional financial strain. While describing himself as a “low tax Conservative,” he did not dismiss the possibility of a council tax increase next year. He stated: “All that is being worked through at the moment. We have to continue to be able to deliver good services that residents expect.” Prior to his election as leader, Smith held the position of the council’s cabinet member for education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). An investigation conducted in 2023, which was published before Smith assumed the cabinet member role, identified “widespread failings” within the county’s SEND services. During that period, four out of five Nottinghamshire children with SEND experienced waiting times exceeding the 20-week target for an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan, which is a legal document outlining their specific needs. Smith expressed being “proud” of the improvements implemented under his oversight since then, although he acknowledged that the council’s performance remains below the national average. Data from a recent council report indicates that 36.3% of EHC plans issued between January and October 2024 were completed within the 20-week target, representing an increase from 27.95% in the preceding year. In 2023, the national figure for new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks stood at 50.3%. Smith conveyed confidence that Nottinghamshire will align with the national average by the conclusion of the current academic year.