It has been announced that Councillor Cliff Morris will retire from his post as leader of Bolton Council on December 31st. Local media report that his deputy, Linda Thomas is expected to take over in the New Year.
75-year-old Councillor Morris said that he believed the time was right for a change:
“I have been thinking about it for a while and I have looked at the pros and cons of retiring and I think the time is right now for both me and the town.”
Bolton-born Morris, a member of the Labour Party, was elected as Councillor for the Halliwell ward in 1983. He stood, unsuccessfully, for the Bolton West constituency in 1992, being beaten by the Conservative candidate, Tom Sackville. Between 2003 and 2004 he was the ceremonial Mayor of Bolton and he became leader of Bolton Council in 2006.