On 20 July, Andy Burnham became the sixth Prime Minister during my time in this role and Alessio Dionisi has just taken over as Watford’s 17th manager in eight years. It will be interesting to see who is in those roles when the position of Elected Mayor of Watford is abolished in April 2028. One of the final decisions of Kier Starmer’s government was to announce how councils in Hertfordshire will be arranged in the future. The new councillors will be part of a ‘shadow council’ that will have a year to organise itself before it takes on its full responsibilities in 2028, at which point Watford Council and the role of Elected Mayor will cease to exist. I am determined to make sure that over this period we deliver the best possible services and ensure that the new council gets off to a good start.