THE deputy leader of a council could end up running unopposed for the top job, according to sources.

Next month, Cllr Keith Mans will call time on his leadership of Hampshire County Council, standing down to spend more time with his family.

It comes after Cllr Mans steered the county council through the Covid-19 pandemic, and gruelling £80m budget cuts.

The Conservative group will have to select a replacement – and sources close to the Local Democracy Reporting Service suggest his deputy, Cllr Rob Humby, could be the only one throwing his name into the hat.

When Cllr Mans became council leader, he had been serving as deputy to his predecessor, Cllr Roy Perry.

One source told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Cllr Humby – who is also the executive lead member for economy, transport and environment and a former Winchester city councillor – will ‘almost certainly’ be in the driving seat for the position.

They said: ‘Cllr Humby is the next taxi in the rank, so to speak, and he’s been a capable deputy over the past few years.

‘The way it seems to go is that the deputy takes over when the leader steps down. That’s not to say there couldn’t be a backbencher who sees this as an opportunity to climb the ladder, and although he might end up unopposed, the Conservative group would still have some tough questions for him.

‘The bottom line is that we don’t know who all the runners and riders are yet.’

Once all names are collected by the Conservative group’s secretary, they will send an email to other members with the nominations.

From there, a party leader will be selected – but that doesn’t bring an end to the process.

Further approval will be needed for that individual to be officially chosen as the county council leader, although this step is typically just a formality.

Cllr Mans took control of Hampshire County Council in 2019, after spending six years as deputy leader.

He said that the ideal candidate will ‘have to keep all the plates spinning, and concentrate on the areas with the greatest risk.’

Cllr Rob Humby was approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service for comment.