Cllr Zoe Huggins is elected leader of Gosport Borough Council
Gosport’s council has a new leader - the first woman in the role
The new leader of Gosport Borough Council has been elected.
Zoe Huggins is the first woman to lead the council, securing the top job after the Liberal Democrats lost control of the local authority. The Conservative group leader and Alverstoke ward representative was formally appointed uncontested at the full council meeting on Wednesday, May 20.
She was elected leader after the Conservatives retained all of their 11 seats in the local elections. Reform UK won nine, leaving the council under no overall control. The Liberal Democrats now only have six seats on the council.
Speaking to the chamber on Wednesday evening, Cllr Huggins said: “Today is simply not just a change in leadership, it’s an opportunity to reset how this council works and, more importantly, what it works for. We will be rebuilding confidence in how the council operates.
“We recognise the accountability that comes with leading in a council without an overall majority. We also recognise that difficult decisions may be required and accountability matters.
“We do not underestimate the changes ahead. Trust must be rebuilt.”
Cllr Huggins said the party believes local government should be transparent, accountable, financially responsible and focused on residents.
She said trust in the authority has been tested and can only be rebuilt through action, not promises, adding that the Conservatives have a “clear programme aimed at restoring confidence.”
Cllr Huggins said the council will focus on restoring stability over the next 100 days by resetting priorities, strengthening leadership and improving transparency.
She said plans include addressing financial management, reviewing spending and major projects, and developing a recovery strategy, while protecting key frontline services and rebuilding public confidence.
She added: “We do not underestimate the challenges ahead. Financial pressures are significant, trust must be rebuilt, and difficult decisions may lie ahead.
“But councils succeed when they focus on sound governance, honest conversations, and the services residents rely upon.”
Cllr Huggins was elected leader of the Conservatives group after serving as deputy leader while in opposition. She was elected in 2016 and served as the Mayor of Gosport in 2020 during the pandemic.
Cllr Stephen Philpott stepped down from the group leader role after two years at the helm.
Cllr Huggins was awarded the British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours in June 2025 for services to education, after a 25-year career. She has served as the chair of St Vincent’s College in Gosport, and then as chair of the Lighthouse Learning Trust, the college’s parent trust.