Fenland councillor Jill Tuck was elected by the council's Conservative group today (May 9). Her appointment now has to be formally ratified by a meeting of the full council next week (May 13).

She succeeds Cllr Keith Walters, also a Conservative, who announced his intention to stand down as leader on May 9.

Cllr Tuck, who is married and lives in Wimblington, was first elected to the county council in 1993. Representing the Waldersey ward – which includes Elm, Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary – she has most recently been Cabinet member for children and young people's services.

She sits on Cambridgeshire Together, the Cambridgeshire Schools Forum, the Fenland Traffic Management Area Joint Committee and the Connexions Partnership Board, and also on the Teachers Joint Consultative Committee and the Universal Services Policy Development Group.

Cllr Tuck said: "It is a great honour to be appointed leader of the county council. There are big decisions and daunting challenges ahead which I will be discussing with colleagues over the coming weeks - such as how to tackle congestion in Cambridge and how to improve adult services - but I am confident that with the support of my Conservative colleagues, we can make the right decisions for the people of Cambridgeshire."