FOLLOWING the recent announcement that Cllr Matt Colledge is to step down as Leader of Trafford Council and Trafford Conservative Group, it has been confirmed that Cllr Sean Anstee, who is the current deputy leader and executive member for finance, has been selected as the new leader of the Trafford Conservative Group.

He will assume that role with immediate effect.

Cllr Colledge will however continue to be leader of the council until March 13, when a special meeting of the council will be held in order to appoint a new council leader.

Cllr Anstee, 26, was elected as leader of the Conservative group following a meeting on Thursday night. He faced opposition from Ashton-upon-Mersey’s Cllr John Lamb after the shock resignation of Matthew Colledge last month.

If he is chosen as council leader, he will be the youngest in the country and said: "I'm very pleased and proud and I'm very grateful to have the support of my colleagues across the group.”

He was elected to represent Bowdon in 2008 when he was aged just 20 and rose to become the council's youngest ever executive member in 2010 and deputy leader last year.

He said his first priority would be fighting in the May elections to keep Conservative control over the council, Greater Manchester's only Tory authority.

Cllr Anstee was elected treasurer of LGBTory in January 2012 and has been involved in Conservative Party politics for more than 10 years.

He is Trafford's representative on the Audit Committee of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and a governor of Lostock College, Stretford.

Previous roles include a number of years as a Trustee of Brook, the national young person's sexual health charity and as an invited member to board meetings of The Children's Society.

He completed the 2012 Greater Manchester Marathon when it returned to Trafford after a 10-year break, raising funds for Trafford Carers Centre Sean lives with his civil partner Thomas and their dog Stanley in Sale.