List honours council stalwarts

Coun Judith Blake and Alan Gay have been picked for their years of service to local government.

The council leader was awarded a CBE in the list while Mr Gay, a former head of finance, was given an OBE.

Serving as a councillor for 21 years, Coun Blake became executive member for the council’s Children’s Services department in 2010.

After being elected leader in 2015, she introduced 50/50 gender representation in her Cabinet and oversaw the shift to the council being a Real Living Wage employer from April 2016.

Before leaving the council earlier this year, Mr Gay was the authority’s deputy chief executive,overseeing its hugely complex annual budget and capital programme. For nearly 40 years, Mr Gay played a key role in supporting and financing some of the biggest developments and events in the history of Leeds, including the Grand Depart of the Tour De France in 2014 and the construction of the First Direct arena in 2013.