While Ross Willmott's decision to stand down as leader of Leicester City Council is celebrated by his opponents, it will have caused concern among business leaders.
Despite the numerous critical comments on the Leicester Mercury website today, a large section of local community feel Councillor Willmott has had a major positive influence on the city's economy.
Business leaders and those overseeing the city's regeneration projects feel he has played a key role in the multi-million pound redevelopment seen in the city in recent years. Some even state it wouldn't have happened without him.
He was someone most of Leicester's corporate movers and shakers felt they could deal with - a senior local government politician who was comfortable networking at business events, something many of his colleagues and opponents find hard.
Coun Willmott, along with county council leader David Parsons, nurtured the friendly relationship now enjoyed by the city and county councils, which was so crucial to the creation of Prospect Leicestershire. This is an economic development agency which many other areas of the country are now using as a template.
Given the recent MPs' expenses scandal, Coun Willmott's plan to take six weeks off to campaign to become MP for North West Leicestershire while continuing as council leader and still claiming all the allowances which come with the post, was always going to cause controversy. There have been calls for him to stand down for some weeks and many viewed his attempt to hold on to the job until he knew whether or not he had been voted into Parliament as at best unreasonable and at worst arrogant.
The question for city business leaders now is who will replace him.
The names being put forward are Vi Dempster, the cabinet member for education, and Veejay Patel, the cabinet finance spokesman. Most business people will know little about them.
But whoever it is, businesses will be hoping for a similar level of strong and decisive leadership from them.
Despite the numerous critical comments on the Leicester Mercury website today, a large section of local community feel Councillor Willmott has had a major positive influence on the city's economy.
Business leaders and those overseeing the city's regeneration projects feel he has played a key role in the multi-million pound redevelopment seen in the city in recent years. Some even state it wouldn't have happened without him.
He was someone most of Leicester's corporate movers and shakers felt they could deal with - a senior local government politician who was comfortable networking at business events, something many of his colleagues and opponents find hard.
Coun Willmott, along with county council leader David Parsons, nurtured the friendly relationship now enjoyed by the city and county councils, which was so crucial to the creation of Prospect Leicestershire. This is an economic development agency which many other areas of the country are now using as a template.
Given the recent MPs' expenses scandal, Coun Willmott's plan to take six weeks off to campaign to become MP for North West Leicestershire while continuing as council leader and still claiming all the allowances which come with the post, was always going to cause controversy. There have been calls for him to stand down for some weeks and many viewed his attempt to hold on to the job until he knew whether or not he had been voted into Parliament as at best unreasonable and at worst arrogant.
The question for city business leaders now is who will replace him.
The names being put forward are Vi Dempster, the cabinet member for education, and Veejay Patel, the cabinet finance spokesman. Most business people will know little about them.
But whoever it is, businesses will be hoping for a similar level of strong and decisive leadership from them.
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