Councillor Anthea Dickson will continue as provost of North Ayrshire, and Councillor John Sweeney will remain depute provost.

The new leadership was confirmed following a meeting of North Ayrshire Council this week. The council will continue to operate as a minority Scottish National Party administration.

The changes come as a result of the recent announcement by former leader Marie Burns and depute leader Shaun Macaulay of their intention to step down from the roles they have held since May 2022.

Tony Gurney, North Ayrshire Council leader, said: “First and foremost, I want to pay tribute to my predecessor and colleague, Marie Burns, for her outstanding work as both leader and a councillor over the past few years. We have come through a turbulent time with the Covid pandemic and Cost-of-Living Crisis and North Ayrshire Council has led by example to help support our communities through these enormous challenges.

“The Audit Commission recently recognised our work and praised the council as a model example for other local authorities. Our job now is to continue to build on the foundations which have been laid as we tackle the challenges that lie ahead, starting with the 2026/27 Budget which will be set later this month. We have more work to do and our focus will be firmly on improving the lives our residents in every part of North Ayrshire.”

Following the meeting, appointments to the cabinet were confirmed:

• Councillor Tony Gurney – Chair of Cabinet
• Councillor Eleanor Collier – Cabinet Member for Green Environment & Economy
• Councillor Alan Hill – Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing & Islands
• Councillor Chloe Robertson – Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care
• Councillor Christina Larsen – Cabinet Member for Finance & Procurement
• Councillor Margaret Johnson – Cabinet Member for Education & Young People.