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# New Lichfield councillor handed cabinet responsibility for education at Staffordshire County Council
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/new-lichfield-councillor-handed-cabinet-responsibility-for-education-at-staffordshire-county-council/
- Published: 2025-05-13T17:18:39.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-13T17:18:57.000Z
- Description: A new Lichfield councillor has been handed a cabinet role at Staffordshire County Council.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:49, News

A NEW Lichfield councillor has been handed a cabinet role at Staffordshire County Council.

Cllr Janet Higgins, who won the Lichfield Rural West seat for Reform UK earlier this month, will take responsibility for education and SEND.

It comes as the authority’s new leader Cllr Ian Cooper unveiled his new leadership team alongside deputy leader Cllr Martin Murray, who will also take on the economy and skills portfolio.

The full cabinet is:

- Ian Cooper – leader
- Martin Murray – deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills
- Martin Rogerson – cabinet member for health and care
- Nicholas Lakin – cabinet member for children and young people
- Andrew Mynors – cabinet member for connectivity
- Peter Mason – cabinet member for strategic highways
- Chris Large – cabinet member for finance and resources
- Hayley Coles – cabinet member for communities and culture
- Janet Higgins – cabinet member for education and SEND
- Anthony Screen – cabinet member for community safety

 Cllr Cooper said:

> “In choosing this cabinet, I believe we have a strong team to meet our promises to Staffordshire’s residents and businesses.   
>  
> “We are determined to work with all councillors, staff and our communities to create a safe and thriving county we can all be proud of.”

The Reform UK party clinched 49 seats on the council at the election. The Conservatives – who had previously controlled the authority – secured ten seats, while Labour, the Green Party and independents hold one each.

The new leader and deputy leader of the council will be formally selected by all members at a meeting on 22nd May.

Other positions proposed will be Paul Williams as chairman of the council, Gordon Munro as deputy chairman and Sean Baggeley as lead of the overview and scrutiny committees.

Pat Flaherty, Staffordshire County Council’s chief executive, said:

> “We look forward to working with Ian and the new cabinet – and to welcoming all of our newly elected councillors to the council this month.”