Coun Eddie Strengiel has been elected as the new Chairman of Lincolnshire County Council.
Coun Strengiel, who served as the 798th Mayor of Lincoln over 20 years ago, officially assumed the role during the council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last Friday, alongside Coun William Gray, who was elected as vice chairman.
The representative for the Birchwood division served as Vice Chairman throughout 2023/24 under Coun Robert Reid.
He described it as a “tremendous achievement” after being nominated by county leader Martin Hill.
“It’s a delight to be back on the chain gang after 20 years since I was Mayor of Lincoln,” said Coun Strengiel following the meeting.
“It’s great to go around the various organisations and voluntary groups, and it’s amazing how many unsung heroes across Lincolnshire you get to meet.”
Throughout the next year in his role, he hopes to actively support both Macmillan Cancer Support and Blind Veterans UK, citing personal reasons for his dedication to these charities.
The Tory councillor explained that his late father was well cared for by Macmillan when he was fighting cancer.
Furthermore, a young Second Lieutenant he served with in the Royal Engineers lost his sight due to an explosion, effectively ending his career.
“I feel very strongly that these organisations should be supported and I hope the people of Lincolnshire will help me raise some money for both of them,” he added.
Earlier this month, CounStrengiel lost his seat on the City of Lincoln Council to Labour candidate Laura Danese.
However, he insists he will be fighting to reclaim the seat he held for over 30 years.
“Politics can be a rough business sometimes,” he said. “It’s something I don’t take lying down, and I will fight to get back in, God willing.
“At the end of the day, people decide, and that is the great thing about our country; we have a good democracy where the majority vote wins the day, and rightly so.”
