BURY Conservatives have elected a new leader after Cllr Iain Gartside stepped down earlier this month due to work and family commitments.

Cllr James Daly was unanimously elected to lead the 16-strong group of Tories on the council at a meeting at Bury Town Hall on Monday.

He has represented North Manor Ward since 2012 and been deputy leader of the Conservative group for the past four years. He lives in Greenmount with his wife, Joanne, and two young sons and is a partner in a firm of solicitors based in Bury town centre.

He said: “I wish to pay tribute to my predecessor, Cllr Iain Gartside, and thank him for his years of dedicated leadership and service to our borough.

“Bury is a fantastic place to live but we have been badly let down by years of financial mismanagement by the Labour Party.

“For many years Bury Conservatives have identified efficiency savings within the council, which should be invested in frontline services benefitting all residents, but have repeatedly been voted down by Labour.

“I will continue to argue for extra investment in our crumbling road infrastructure and wish to work with all parties to ensure we meet the challenges of increasing demand in adult and children social care.

“We must strive to protect our green belt and Bury Conservatives will continue to oppose the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.”

At the same meeting, Cllr Michael Hankey was elected as deputy leader.

Cllr Hankey represents Elton Ward and works as an accountant, living in Bury.

He added: “I am delighted and very proud to be chosen as the deputy leader of the Conservative group on Bury Council.

“I shall do my best to ensure that we remain a resolute yet constructive opposition, always putting the interests of the people of Bury first.”

Cllr Iain Gartside, who has been Bury Conservative leader for the past five years, stepped down from his post on February 2.

He said: “The decision to step down was not taken lightly, however, over the past few months’ extra work and personal commitments, which are set to increase in the future, made it much harder for me to do the job in the way that it should be done.

“I will remain as a councillor for Tottington Ward and will concentrate on representing my constituents. I would like to take this opportunity to wish my successor every success in the future.”