A Queen’s Park councillor has announced he is to step down as the leader of Westminster’s Labour group next month.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Former Council Leader Dame Shirley Porter (Pic credit: PA)Former Council Leader Dame Shirley Porter (Pic credit: PA) (Image: PA/EMPICS)

However Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg will remain as ward councillor, as he “hands over the mantle” after 11 years in the job.

The councillor, who was first elected in 1982, said is giving up the leadership to make way for “new ideas” nut insists he will continue to be an active Labour campaigner.

He said: “As Harold Wilson once said ‘a week is a long time in politics’, so more than a decade is a very long time! It’s time for new ideas.”

The 62-year-old, who is the director of public relations firm Quatro PR , said he is most proud of his record of opposing measures proposed by the Conservative-led council and is credited with exposing a gerrymandering ‘homes for votes’ scam involved former council leader Dame Shirley Porter in 1996 .

“I’ve mostly spent my time stopping things,” he said.

“I’ve recently blocked plans to charge residents for parking in the West End and am proud of having exposed the scandal of’ homes for votes’ as well as being a very early supporter of plans to create the very successful community council in Queen’s Park.”

Cllr Dimoldenberg, who is mindful that he is “just three years away from pension age” says he has been planning his succession for over a year and is backing Westbourne councillor Adam Hug when Labour councillors meet to elect a new leader on June 6.

Fellow Labour councillor Barbara Grahame said: “Paul has been an absolute tower of strength in the community for 11 years. He is so knowledgeable and wise and is a wonderful leader. We’re so lucky he’s staying on to support us. I think he would have made a fantastic mayor!”