New leader for Hastings Borough Council officially appointed

At a special full council meeting on Wednesday (March 18), councillors officially elected Cllr Kim Forward as the authority’s new leader, having been named as successor to Peter Chowney by the Labour Party last month.

A ward councillor for Gensing, Cllr Forward becomes the first woman to lead the party while they control the council. 

Accepting the position, Cllr Forward said: “I am really honoured to be elected as your leader and I pledge I will work hard with you for our borough and the people of our town.

“I just want to take a moment to reflect that the first woman who was leader of the council was Pam Brown, who was a Liberal Democrat, and that was over 20 years ago. 

“It’s women’s history month this month and it’s the valiant women of the vote. This theme celebrates the brave women who fought to bring suffrage rights to women and for the women who continue to fight for the voting rights of others. 

“I am the first woman Labour council leader and it is just a little bit of history that we have made here. We have still got a long way to go to ensure we have equal representation and I am really pleased to be able to play my part by being a role model for our girls and our women here in our town.”

Cllr Forward went on to praise Peter Chowney for his time as council leader and also named her fellow Gensing ward councillor Colin Fitzgerald as her deputy leader.

She also addressed the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, saying it would “rightly” be the council’s focus.

She said: “The Covid-19 pandemic means our focus is rightly on how we can continue to deliver services and how we can support those who are most affected by the situation in our communities. 

“The impact on our town, our residents and our business is already being felt really keenly. 

“We must work strategically with our partners to ensure we can offer support and guidance and it is imperative that the government addresses the needs of the most vulnerable and the most deprived communities, both in our town and across the country.

“Our message to the people of Hastings is we are standing with you and we will do all we can to support you at this most difficult of times.”

Born in Bexhill, Cllr Forward has lived and worked in and around Hastings and St Leonards all her life. She has five children and five grandchildren.

Cllr Forward became a local councillor in 2008 after a career as a primary school teacher. She served as mayor between 2010 and 2012, before taking on a series of senior roles on the council. She has also previously been a county councillor.

She became deputy leader of Hastings Council in 2015 when Cllr Chowney took over as leader on the death of Jeremy Birch.