10:02am Thursday 11th March 2010
By Tristan Kirk
TWO Tory politicians face off tomorrow evening in the battle for leadership of the party in Harrow.
Deputy leader of the council Susan Hall and communications supremo Paul Osborn are on the ballot to elect a new group leader, replacing Cllr David Ashton when he stands down in May.
The battle renews rivalries between the pair after they came head-to-head in 2008 in a fight for deputy leader – a battle narrowly won by Cllr Hall.
Conservative councillors are gathering tomorrow evening to hold a secret ballot over the leadership, and a win for Cllr Hall would also spark a deputy leadership contest.
Cllr Hall's record has been well documented since she was propelled to frontline politics when the Tories took control of the council in 2006.
She was first elected in that year, and took control of the environmental services and community safety portfolio soon afterwards.
She has been the figurehead for a host of high profile council policies, including Week of Action and Neighbourhood Champions, and is never one to shy away from the limelight.
Nor has she shunned confrontation, sticking to her guns over the introduction of a controversial CPZ in West Harrow, and meeting face to face with anti-mosque protester Stephen Gash.
In the opposite corner is Cllr Osborn, who was elected in 2001 to represent Pinner and directs the party's strategy and communications.
More of a behind-the-scenes operater, Cllr Osborn brought in wholesale change of the council's PR department, hiring Westminster Council to run the communications department and rebuild the image of Harrow Council among residents.
He was also in control of the successful lie-detector scheme to snare benefit cheats, propelling tackling benefit fraud to one of the top of the Tory administration's achievements.
Whoever triumphs in the ballot will take the reigns of the party, and may also find themselves as Leader of the Council after May's elections.
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