At the council’s annual meeting in May 2024, Councillor Ruth Dombey, the leader of the London Borough of Sutton, announced her resignation.
After serving as Leader for twelve years, Councillor Dombey will continue to serve as a local councillor for Sutton North.
In announcing her decision to step down, Councillor Ruth Dombey said:
“I’ve decided that it’s time for me to hand up the reins and step aside as Leader of the Council after 12 amazing years.
“I believe that this is the appropriate moment to step down and give my successor the opportunity to take on this significant and demanding post and lead us into the next election, especially with the General Election this year and our significant Local Elections scheduled for 2026.
“Being Sutton Council’s leader has been an enormous honour and a privilege, and I am incredibly appreciative of everyone—fellow council members, officers, and most importantly, our residents—who genuinely care about our borough.
“I’m proud of the accomplishments the Council has made since I took over as Leader in 2012.” Sutton is being recognised globally as one of the top hubs for cancer drug discovery thanks to the London Cancer Hub. Our plans for our major town centre show how we intend to revitalise our dilapidated and historic buildings and make sure that it continues to serve as a hub for our communities’ places to live, work, and play. This will safeguard our stores and companies, increase traffic on Sutton High Street, and generate more jobs in the community.
In addition to carrying out our aggressive plan to build more housing around the borough, we also keep providing for individuals in our borough who are in the greatest need, from meals on Admiral Nurses was the first local government to construct a brand-new, purpose-built children’s home at Willow Rise. I’m proud to have lived in Sutton my entire life and to have contributed to its development because of all of this.
“This is the appropriate moment for me to retire. As a local councillor, I’m excited to keep serving the community and to work with the next Leader to realise our goal of making our borough the greatest area in South London to work, live, and raise a family.
At the Annual Meeting on May 20, 2024, the Full Council will pick a new Leader of the Council.
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