A senior Dorset councillor has been shortlisted for a prestigious local government award.

Cllr Spencer Flower, leader of Dorset Council, is up for Leader of the Year in the Cllr Awards run by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU).

Cllr Flower said: “This is an unexpected and huge honour to be shortlisted from a long list of nominations.

“Dorset Council has made significant progress since it was formed in May 2019. It has been a great privilege for me to be the first leader of the council.

“I was pleased to note that one of the key aspects of my nomination was my ethos of promoting and achieving strong cross-party, inclusive working.

“I believe this has been to the benefit of the people of Dorset, which makes the hard work by fellow councillor colleagues and myself all worthwhile.  

“I am very proud of what we have achieved in Dorset for the people we represent and to be nominated by a national organisation is a huge honour."

More than 300 nominations have been received across five categories that celebrate the wide-ranging work of councillors.

The categories up for grabs this year include Community Champion, Leader of the Year, Young Councillor of the Year, Resilience Champion and Lifetime Legend.

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU said: "In the face of unprecedented domestic and global challenges over the last year, councillors nationwide have once again exhibited unwavering dedication to serving their constituents.

"The shortlist for the 2023 Cllr Awards represents some of the most devoted elected representatives in England and Wales.

"As councils continue to deliver essential services like social care and housing amid a cost of living crisis, these Awards are a hugely important way to champion what councillors do locally.

"Their work, all too often, goes unrecognised and we take great pride in featuring their stories in this year's shortlist.

"Congratulations to all the councillors nominated and shortlisted and I look forward to announcing the winners in November.”

The winners in England and Wales will be announced at the Guildhall in London at 7pm on November 16.