BOTH the political and formal leadership of West Somerset Council changed hands at the authority's annual meeting on Wednesday. Outgoing chairman Cllr Barbara Child handed over the chain of office to her former deputy Clr Pam Driver, who named Cllr Fred Rawle as her vice- chairman for the forthcoming year. Rumours of a political change of leadership also proved to be true when Cllr Steven Pugsley stepped down as leader, together with his vice-chairman Cllr Bryan Leaker. The top job eventually fell to Cllr Christine Lawrence who appointed Cllr Ann Foxhuntley as her deputy. Cllr Lawrence pledged to do her "absolute best for West Somerset" in what is likely to be difficult year with decisions pending on Minehead's controversial Vulcan Road development, the progress of the centralised offices in Williton and the local government elections in May. She paid tribute to her "faithful and wise" predecessor and said she hoped Cllr Pugsley would continue to contribute to the community in many different ways in the years to come. Opposition member Cllr Simon Stokes added his voice of thanks - and told the former leader he hoped to welcome him as an independent councillor after May's elections. He added: "If he has ever failed in the leadership it is not by what he has done but by what he has had to lead." Outgoing chairman Cllr Child was equally cryptic and critical when she told her successor effectively to rid the council of its dead wood. Thanking councillors and officers for their support during her chairmanship, she said the best advice she had been given was: "When pruning and you come across a weak branch, prune it or better still remove it altogether." Cllr Driver thanked Cllr Child for her commitment to the authority and described her tenure as "probably one of the roughest rides in the last decade". And new vice-chairman Cllr Rawle told colleagues: "I would be pleased to see a bit less politics and a bit more common sense. "All this nonsense costs money and gets us practically nowhere." New leader Cllr Lawrence was then called on to name her cabinet for the 2005-06 year. While she will take over the democratic renewal portfolio, Cllr Foxhuntley will retain responsibility for environment, Cllr Roger Webber retains finance, Cllr Mary Crowley keeps housing, health and welfare, Cllr Nick Messarra remains as the portfolio holder for economic development and business liaison, Cllr Eddie May is the children and young people's portfolio holder and Cllr Angela Palmer takes on internal resources. Cllr Keith Ross will keep his cabinet seat and portfolio for leisure, culture and recreation to complete the pack. However, one vacancy will remain after Cllr Leaker bowed out of the leading group. Cllr Pugsley has also stepped back from the cabinet, but instead takes over as chairman of the policy development committee, with Cllr Martyn Snell as deputy. Other policy development committee members are: Cllrs Terry Ayre, Barbara Child, Terry Venner, Mike Padgett, Jenny Hill and Jess Griffith. Cllr Stokes retains chairmanship of the performance committee with Cllr Child as his new vice-chairman. Other performance committee members are: Cllrs Terry Ayre, Keith Parkes, Steven Pugsley, Jess Griffith, Jenny Hill and David Banks. Planning committee chairman and vice-chairman Cllrs Viv Brewer and Tony Knight retain their positions for another year, with their fellow committee members named as: Cllrs Jamie Anderson, Mary Crowley, Ann Foxhuntley, Bryan Leaker, Angela Palmer, Keith Parkes, Steven Pugsley, Roger Webber, Mike Gammon, Eddie May, Fred Rawle, Keith Ross, Ivor Gibbon, Peter Humber and Hugh Davies. Cllr Keith Parkes remains as chairman of the licensing committee with Cllr Mike Padgett as his deputy. Other committee members are: Cllrs Jamie Anderson, Viv Brewer, Pam Driver, Tony Knight, Bryan Leaker, Nick Messarra, Angela Palmer, David Gliddon, Jenny Hill, Eddie May, Ivor Gibbon, Martyn Snell and David Banks. The council's standards committee representatives will be Cllrs Hugh Davies, Pam Driver and Angela Palmer, while the audit committee will comprise of Cllrs Viv Brewer, Mike Gammon, Ivor Gibbon, Bryan Leaker and Keith Parkes. The remaining committee, the local development panel, will be made up of Cllrs Viv Brewer, Ann Foxhuntley, Jess Griffith, Tony Knight, Angela Palmer and Simon Stokes. Photos: Steve Guscott