Deputy council leader quits

Deputy leader of Hyndburn Council Kimberley Whitehead will step down from the authority in May to devote her next two years to working for Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw in memory of her murdered brother Marvin.

He was killed in 2003 after being stabbed 18 times by Geoffrey Anthony Laycock.

The long-serving Spring Hill Labour councillor announced her decision to Hyndburn’s Full Council meeting on Thursday.

The authority and the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner are both scheduled to be scrapped in 2028.

Cllr Whitehead told the meeting: “This is not an easy speech for me to give but it is an important one.

“In May, I will be stepping down from my role on the council to fully commit to the opportunity and privilege I have of serving as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire.

“This role is not just a professional step for me, it is deeply personal.

“As some of you know, my brother was murdered when he was just 28 years old in a frenzied knife attack.

“That experience never leaves you.

“It shapes who you are… and it shapes what you stand for.

“And for me, it means, that I do not want to miss a single minute of the opportunity that has been afforded to me.

“I want to dedicate my full time and energy to it to changing lives, to making communities safer, and to ensuring that other families do not have to go through what mine did.

“I wish to say thank you to my colleagues and friends across all parties.

“We have not always agreed…and with some I may never will.

“But over the last two years, we have shown that we can disagree without descending into the kind of politics that turns people away from public service.

“It has been the honour of my life to follow in the footsteps of my step grandma, Pam Barton to serve the residents of Spring Hill, Fern Gore, and Hyndburn and to serve as Deputy Leader of this Council.

“I have never taken that responsibility lightly.

“And I am proud, of what we have achieved together.

“My advice to all of you is simple:

“Do not lose sight of why you became a councillor in the first place.

“Do not waste a single minute of the responsibility you have been given.

“Stay focused on what matters: Delivery. Integrity. Community.”