Keane Duncan challenges Carl Les for Conservative leader role

Councillor Keane Duncan has put his name forward as a candidate to lead the North Yorkshire Conservative Group — a position currently held by long-serving councillor, Carl Les.

A vote will be taken next Wednesday (May 6) when the group meets for its annual general meeting.

The leader of the Conservative Group will not automatically become leader of North Yorkshire Council.

But with the Conservative and Independent group currently holding 45 out of the 90 seats on the authority, it is likely a new group leader would also go on to lead the council following a vote at the next full council meeting.

If Cllr Les were to win the vote next week, he would automatically continue as leader.

Cllr Duncan, who represents the Norton division, became the youngest council leader in the country when he took up the top role at Ryedale District Council in 2019 aged 24.

The councillor, who is now 31, was elected to the new unitary North Yorkshire Council in 2022 and then stood for election to be the first mayor of York and North Yorkshire in 2024, coming second behind Labour candidate David Skaith.

He was an executive member for highways on North Yorkshire Council until he was removed by Cllr Les in June last year.

It is understood the relationship between the two councillors has been strained since the reshuffle.

Cllr Duncan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I can confirm I have been nominated by colleagues for the role of leader of the Conservative group and I look forward to making my positive case at our AGM.”

Cllr Les, 76, who was awarded an OBE for his services to local government in 2023, has been leader of North Yorkshire Council since 2015.

It is understood this would be the first time he has faced a direct challenge to his position.

Cllr Les told the LDRS: “It is an internal matter for the Conservative group to elect the group leader.

“Presently, I have been elected by the council as leader until the end of this council. But the decision for the Conservative group on Wednesday is about who leads the Conservative group.

“It’s likely that the leader of the Conservative group would then be the leader of the council, but it’s not automatic.”

It has already been announced that the deputy leader of the Conservative group and council, Gareth Dadd, will also stand down at the AGM.

Executive members, Councillor Mark Crane and Councillor Richard Foster, have both put their names forward for the role.

Cllr Crane is a former leader of Selby District Council, while Cllr Foster led Craven District Council until local government reorganisation in 2023.