The Labour opposition group on the county’s largest authority is to elect a new leader in the coming days.

The internal election among the seven-strong cohort at Kent County Council is due to take place by the end of the week.

It came after Dr Lauren Sullivan, who represents Northfleet and Gravesend West, stood aside as leader after she was elected as Member of Parliament for Gravesham on July 4.

Favourite to replace Dr Sullivan is Canterbury city member Alister Brady.

Dr Sullivan is not expected to resign at once, despite her elevation to Westminster, but wait until the KCC elections next May.

She was elected as the MP with a majority of 2,712 with incumbent Conservative Adam Holloway coming in second, although the result may have been skewed by a large Reform UK vote in third.

A KCC source said: “Lauren is going to hang on until the election next year. Once you take out the summer recess and Christmas holidays and so on, there is not that much time left before the election.

“There are likely to be a lot of threats to services in the coming months and Labour wants to have its top team available to hold the council to account. A by-election at this stage would be costly and unnecessary.

“Councillors remaining in their local seats after election to Westminster is not without precedent.”