OXFORD City Council has elected a new deputy leader.

Councillor Susan Brown, who represents Churchill ward, was approved by councillors at a council meeting on Monday.

She is currently the council’s executive board member for customer and corporate services and has taken over as statutory deputy leader from Councillor Ed Turner.

He will become the council’s non-statutory deputy leader. after it agreed to create the new system in July to address issues of gender balance.

Only Councillor Brown will be able to assume the responsibilities of current leader, Councillor Bob Price, should he be away.

She said: “I am proud and honoured to be appointed as deputy leader of Oxford City Council. I will be continuing to work closely with my executive board colleagues, supporting our shared objectives of tackling poverty and injustice in our city, building homes for our citizens and promoting prosperity for all.”

Dr Turner will remain the council’s executive board member for finance, asset management and public health.

Pay for both roles will be settled at a meeting later this year.

Opposition councillors accused the council of trying to get more funding for their positions when the move was first announced in July.

But Dr Turner said the policy was to ‘give better gender balance and provide extra capacity’.