New vice chair for the County Council
Warwickshire County Council has elected a new vice-chair. Councillor Peter Barnes who has served Bidford and Salford Priors for seven years is to take up the role, serving with Councillor Marion Haywood who is to be the county’s new chairman.
Cllr Barnes’ role will see him preside over meetings of the Council, along with Cllr Haywood, ensuring a meeting is a forum for debate and enabling those not in Cabinet to bring cabinet members to account.
A well-known face in and around Bidford and Welford where he sits on the district council, Councillor Barnes is an organic sheep farmer. He is endlessly campaigning for the local community and is currently lobbying on behalf of his fellow farmers for all livestock in the area to be treated with the bluetongue vaccine.
Other campaigns Cllr Barnes has headed have included the change to the road safety bill where he spoke at the House of Lords to ensure that foreign lorry drivers were also answerable to British laws. He was also involved in reducing the speed limit in and around his villages. Aware of his environmental responsibilities, whenever political business takes him to Stratford, he gets there by bike.
Commenting on his appointment, Cllr Barnes said: “I am delighted to have been elected to the role of vice chair. It is a great honour and I will be proud to support the chairman and support the county.”
Leader of the council, Cllr Alan Farnell said: “I am pleased for Peter who has served the county with distinction in the years he has been a councillor. This role will give him many more opportunities to represent the county council which he will no doubt do with his usual conscientious determination.”