After Nick Kemp’s resignation, Karen Kilgour could potentially become the council’s new leader.
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00:00Newcastle City Council seem likely to appoint the first female leader in history.
00:04Karen Kilgour is now expected to take over as the Labour leader for the local authority after the resignation of Nick Kemp,
00:11who resigned three days later after it was revealed that he was the subject of a bullying complaint from one of the council's most senior officers.
00:18It is said that Councillor Kilgour is thought to have been the only person to step forward for the role ahead of the initial deadlines for nominations for the newly available position, which closes on Wednesday this week.
00:29Having said that, Labour Party officials reopened the nominations with rumours of other political candidates being lobbied to step forward too.
00:37Councillor Kilgour, however, was the only person to be interviewed by Labour for the leadership position last week.
00:43She has been Labour's deputy leader in Newcastle since May 2021 and has sat on the council for 10 years.
00:49There was a full council meeting on 2nd October where she could become the first woman named as a council's political leader.
00:55A spokesperson said they won't be providing a running commentary on internal selection procedures.