THE former leader of the Basingstoke and Deane Labour group has said he is surprised he has lost his leadership role.

As previously reported, Cllr Jacky Tustain will now lead the group replacing Brighton Hill's Cllr Andrew McCormick, who held the role for three and a half years.

He had just retained his seat at the latest election held on Thursday, May 4.

READ MORE: Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Labour Group elect new leader

Cllr McCormick told the Gazette that every year the group have an annual general meeting. He had applied for the position of group leader but did not win.

He said: "The whole thing was a bit of a surprise really. It wasn't the case of 'I think we should have a new group leader' it was a vote on the night which I lost.

"I am unaware of the reasons why I was challenged for leadership.

"I can only speculate that perhaps we should have done a bit better than we did in the elections and taken the Rooksdown and Kempshott wards as well.

"We had a good election because we gained a seat from the Tories. If we hadn't gained Brookvale I think my position would have been untenable but obviously, we wanted to take Rooksdown and Kempshott and we didn't."

SEE ALSO: Basingstoke elections 2023: No majority party as Tories lose seats

He said that the Tories in Basingstoke "are much more resilient than people realise" with them holding onto seats elsewhere in the borough.

He continued: "Had we been the biggest group we would have been looking at forming an administration with a Labour leader but we are not in a position where we will be able to form an administration and that may be why the decision was taken to change group leader.

"At some point, I would have to have given it up, I could not have been group leader forever. I was hoping that I would at least take us into power but that looks less likely now."