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Broxtowe leader says he’s unlikely to run again if councillor position is abolished

By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

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The leader of Broxtowe Borough Council has said he will likely not stand as a borough councillor again and expects to leave local politics for good due to local Government reform.

Councillor Milan Radulovic has served as leader of the Borough Council for 22 years and currently sits as a Broxtowe Alliance member.

He stood for a fourth time in the recent Nottinghamshire County Council election for the Eastwood division, but lost to Reform UK’s James Walker-Gurley.

Following the Borough Council’s Full Council meeting yesterday (May 14), the leader said he would likely not run for a County Council position again or as a councillor in any combined authority.

The Labour Government’s plans for local government reorganisation could see new unitary authorities created by 2027 or 2028 to streamline services and cut costs.

All nine Nottinghamshire councils have submitted three potential options to the Government for review, which would see the county’s existing two-tiered structure split into two unitary authorities.

When asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service about standing for County Council again, Cllr Radulovic responded: “No, I don’t think so. It’s my 40th year [in local politics] coming up next year and I’m getting to the stage now where my belief in local democracy is sadly fading.

“Because of the over-subscription and over-scrutiny from national government. The roles of [borough and county councillors] has been diminished over the years by constant government legislation interfering in people’s lives to a microscopic degree.”

Cllr Radulovic said he would possibly run as a borough councillor again but the “threat” of local government reform, with borough councillors – in their current form – being subsequently abolished, means he would “not stand again”.

He said: “I have suffered with my health for a number of years. I think it’s time for me to support other people. You don’t have to be an elected member to service your community – work on behalf of the local people will be my calling until the day I die.”

The leader said he believes future plans to reorganise local authorities into new unitary structures is to “bury national debt” and “a way of getting the debt from Westminster onto the back of working people” and fears cuts to local services.

Cllr Radulovic said he thinks the country is headed towards a “dictatorship” because of changes to the political system.

He said: “More and more power, more decisions that affects people’s lives, careers, aspirations are being funnelled into fewer and fewer people making those decisions.

“Housing is a big issue. More and more concentrated in Whitehall, decisions over number allocations, where planning goes, targets set nationally.

“We should look at our communities, what our perceived needs are. What happens with ageing populations? Young people accessing housing? Affordable rent?

“We aren’t providing the type of houses people need, all we’re doing is building numbers that’s dictated to us, not by community need, but national needs to meet arbitrary figures that’s unattainable.”

In January 2025, 18 Broxtowe Borough Labour councillors stepped down from the party, going on to form the new Broxtowe Alliance group.

In just four months, the budding group managed to secure one County Council position – Cllr Teresa Cullen – in the May 1 election.

Cllr Radulovic hopes the small Broxtowe Alliance influence will be the “conscience of the County Council” for issues such as special educational needs and disabilities and social care.

Yesterday’s council meeting saw Cllr Robert Bullock (Brox Alliance) taking over as Mayor of Broxtowe from Cllr Sue Paterson (Brox Alliance), with Cllr Barbara Carr (Ind) acting as deputy.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been contacted for comment.