Councillor Teresa O’Neill OBE, the Leader of the London Borough of Bexley, has been awarded the accolade of Council Leader of the Year at this year’s national Cllr Awards.

The award was made because of Councillor O’Neill’s strong stewardship of the Council over the past 14 years, her work on national and regional organisations, including Homes England, and her role in managing the London-wide response to Covid.

Councillor Georgia Gould, the Leader of the London Borough of Camden, chaired the judging panel and said at the event:

The winner this year is someone I work really closely with, who has shown extraordinary integrity and purpose in her leadership throughout the pandemic and works cross-party for the benefit of Londoners.”

Councillor O’Neill said:

Being a successful leader is about working with your fellow Councillors, Officers and residents. It is a privilege to be able to serve the people of the borough, Londoners and with Homes England. I am pleased that we are making a difference and grateful for the recognition the award gives to me, to the whole team at Bexley – and to our borough.”

Running for the 13th year, the Cllr Awards champion what Councillors do locally because their work can go unrecognised. The competition was particularly tight this year with nearly 400 nominations received.

The winners were selected by a group of judges that included senior councillors and leading figures from across local government.