The Bucks Free Press can reveal Martin Tett is set to be re-elected the leader of Buckinghamshire Council.

The BFP’s sources confirmed Mr Tett will lead the council after its first election as a unitary authority saw the Conservatives sweep the board across the county, taking 113 seats and the overall majority.

It comes as Buckinghamshire Council’s latest newsletter on May 13 was signed off by Mr Tett as leader - despite it not being made official yet.

Just days before the behind-closed-doors meeting of the local Conservatives, we revealed the ones to watch for the top position, with Mr Tett coming out as the early frontrunner.

Our sources have also confirmed Angela Macpherson - one of our 10 to watch - and Gareth Williams are set to be named deputy leaders.

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Mr Tett, who was elected in the Little Chalfont and Amersham Common ward with the highest number of votes out of all the candidates, confirmed at the Chiltern count on Saturday that he would be putting himself forward for the position again.

He has the added experience of leading the council through the pandemic in the past year, as well as serving as leader of the former Buckinghamshire County Council.

The unitary council was marred in controversity, with the former Bucks County Council going head-to-head with the four district councils – who thought two councils, one for the south of the county and one for the north was the better idea - with both sides writing detailed proposals to the government about why their preferred option should be chosen.

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Mr Tett was strongly in favour of the five previous councils - Bucks county and Wycombe, Chiltern, South Bucks and Aylesbury Vale districts - to be replaced with one unitary authority and played a major part in the county council's proposal to the government.

The new leader and deputy leaders will officially be declared at the next meeting of the full council, provisionally expected to be held on May 26.