Michael Pryke, one of the youngest councillors in North Somerset, has been appointed leader of the Conservative opposition group, marking a new chapter in local politics. At just 26 years old and representing Cleveland Walton, Pryke is the second youngest member of the council. Remarkably, he was only six years old when Nigel Ashton, his predecessor, first assumed leadership of the Conservative group.
Nigel Ashton led the Conservatives for 20 years, including serving as council leader from 2007 to 2019. Reflecting on this transition, Pryke said, “He felt it was time to hand on to a different generation.”
In his first council meeting as leader, Pryke promised a more vigilant and assertive opposition. The Conservatives have reorganized their seating to face the council leader directly, symbolizing their renewed determination. “Residents across North Somerset are asking simple but pressing questions: ‘Who is speaking for us? Who is standing up for towns and villages that feel ignored? Who is prepared to offer a serious alternative?’ From today, the answer is this new-look Conservative group,” Pryke stated.
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Council leader Mike Bell welcomed the change, commenting, “It’s really pleasing to see that, after seven years in opposition, the Conservatives are awake and with us.”
Interestingly, the new Conservative leadership’s first move was to support the council administration’s plan to award Live Nation a contract to operate the Tropicana as a 10,000-person capacity venue. Pryke acknowledged that the group had “gone on a journey” regarding this scheme and promised continual scrutiny. Addressing skeptical councillors, he expressed cautious optimism: “I dare to dream that perhaps we might just be getting this one right.”
Pryke emphasized his commitment to being a “constructive friend” to the current coalition administration, which consists of Liberal Democrats, Labour, Greens, and Portishead Independents, while acknowledging there will be times of disagreement.
With a combined total of 14 Conservative and allied independent councillors, Pryke’s group remains the largest political faction on the council. He was elected in the 2023 local elections alongside Luke Smith from Clevedon West after campaigning to reverse the controversial “wiggly lines” road markings on the Clevedon seafront—a change the council implemented last year.
Finally, Pryke paid tribute to Nigel Ashton’s extensive service: “He has led this authority for over a decade during some of the most challenging times for local government, making tough decisions amid financial pressures from Westminster, and he never lost sight of the importance of strong local leadership.”