Councillor Dave Bruce has been elected as the new Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council following an extraordinary meeting of Full Council on 15 September 2026. He takes up the position immediately, replacing Councillor Graham Harrison, who resigned earlier this month due to a change in his personal circumstances.
Councillor Bruce represents the Fens and Greatham Ward for Reform UK and was elected to the Council in May 2026. He brings experience from a career in the engineering and manufacturing sectors, where he has held senior leadership positions and continues to work in a senior operations role.
Priorities: Finance and Governance
Addressing his appointment, Councillor Bruce said: "It is a real honour to have been appointed to this role and I would like to pay tribute to the work that Graham has done during his time as Leader."
His first priority is tackling the Council's financial position. The authority is currently projecting an overspend of more than £5 million in the current financial year, driven in large part by the increasing number of children entering the care system. Since May, Councillor Bruce has been leading detailed reviews of the Council's budgets.
"Every pound spent by the Council is taxpayers' money and we have a responsibility to ensure it is spent wisely and delivers value for money," he said.
Councillor Bruce also highlighted the need for additional funding from the Government to support Hartlepool.
His second key priority is implementing the Council's new Leader and Cabinet governance model. The authority is moving away from the committee system in line with Government direction. Councillor Bruce described this as "a major change for the authority" that will provide clearer accountability, stronger leadership and more streamlined decision-making.
