Councillor Andreas Kirsch has been elected by the Liberal Democrats as the new leader of the Kingston council following Caroline Kerr’s resignation after 18 months in charge.
Kirsch said: “The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has always been an open, welcoming, inclusive and diverse place to live, work and socialise.
“I am proud to have been elected to lead our council on the next step of its journey.”
Kerr, former leader of Kingston council, said: “I’m very excited to see councillor Andreas Kirsch elected as our new leader, and give him my complete support.”
Kirsch thanked Kerr for her service during her 18-month tenure, and recognised how she led the borough through the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kirsch was the holder for finance and commissioning in his former position as councillor for Chessington South. In this role, he presented the budget in March 2021 which saw council taxes rise by almost 5 per cent.
A formal handover between Kerr and Kirsch will take place in the coming week.
