Anna Smith will become leader of Cambridge City Council, it has been announced.

Smith will take over from Cllr Lewis Herbert who announced last week that he would step down from the role after seven and a half years as leader of the Labour Party-ruled council. Smith will start in the role at the end of November.

Cllr Smith, who currently represents Coleridge, stated last night (12/10): “I’m delighted and honoured that the group has put their trust in me this evening. I will do everything I can to fulfill that trust.

“These are tough times for a local council, but we have a manifesto I’m proud of, and a really strong team of councillors and officers. And I will do my utmost to work with fellow councillors, partner groups and the whole community so that we can continue to build ‘One Cambridge, Fair for All’.”

She commended Cllr Herbert for his “tenacious, thoughtful and dedicated leadership” under which “both the city council and Cambridge have flourished”.

Discussing her predecessor’s achievements, Smith referenced the “500 new council homes with more to come”, along with “reducing our carbon emissions” and “enhancing our city’s biodiversity and increasing our tree canopy”. She also described the “strong partnerships with the voluntary sector” he had built, “building food justice and funding hundreds of community projects that make a real difference to residents’ lives”.

Smith added: “He’s also built a really strong and diverse team of councillors and has particularly encouraged new councillors to put themselves forward and to develop their skills. Of course, we will be working together closely during the upcoming weeks and months to ensure a smooth transition for councillors, officers – and, most importantly, residents.

“It’s an impressive legacy, and one I look forward to continuing.”

Cllr Herbert stated: “We have a hugely able and experienced team of Cambridge Labour councillors. This is clear from the hard-fought competition for this role between four talented members of our exec team. I will be giving my full support and assistance to Cllr Smith during the six-week transition period and beyond. Together we will continue to support our whole Labour team at city, county and Combined Authority level.

“Anna will have my full backing as we continue to make the changes and improvements our city needs. She is equally committed to ongoing partnership working with residents and local groups and businesses, as well as to the important outward-facing work we do with South Cambridgeshire, all of which benefits communities across Cambridge.

“With the support of the full council, she will take over the reins from December and take on the best job in the country, improving life for everyone in the city we all love.”

Following the election of Cllr Anna Smith, Daniel Zeichner, the Labour MP for Cambridge said: “Congratulations to Cllr Anna Smith. Anna has big shoes to fill but I know she will rise to the challenge and represent our great city with passion and flair."

He continued: "I’m also so delighted that Cambridge city council now has a woman leader. I’m looking forward to working closely with Anna on our shared Labour agenda to really deliver for local people and create one city fair for all”.