At the Annual General Meeting of Medway Conservatives held earlier this week (Monday 11th May 2026), the Medway Conservative Group re-elected Cllr George Perfect as its Leader and Cllr Gary Hackwell as its Deputy Leader, by unanimous agreement.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of the recent and deeply felt loss of Cllr Phil Filmer, whose dedication and service to residents and the Conservative Group will be greatly missed.
The Leader of the Opposition Cllr George Perfect additionally appointed Cllr Jim Gilbourne as the Late Cllr Phil Filmer's successor as Shadow Cabinet Member for Planning and Development and as the Opposition Spokesperson for the Planning Committee. Councillor Jim Gilbourne has represented Hempstead and Wigmore since May 2023. With more than 30 years’ experience in the mutual and charitable financial services sector, he brings extensive professional insight alongside a strong commitment to his local community.
Cllr George Perfect, Leader of Medway Conservatives and Opposition Leader of Medway Council said:
I'm honoured to have been re-elected by my team as Leader, with unanimous support and agreement of the Group. I'm pleased too that my Deputy Leader, Cllr Hackwell, has also been re-elected unanimously, and thank him for his tremendous friendship and support during the last twenty-four months.
However, this is also a very difficult time for our Group following the sudden passing of our friend and colleague, The Late Cllr Filmer. He was a valued member of our team and a passionate public servant, and he will be greatly missed by us all. I am pleased that Cllr Jim Gilbourne will be joining my Shadow Cabinet. Having worked closely with the Late Cllr Filmer, I know he will bring experience and strong skills to my frontbench.
Over the forthcoming twelve months we will continue to make the case for why only the Conservative Party are the right party to lead and represent the people of Medway in the North Kent authority, whilst still holding the Labour and Co-Operative Group to account.
Cllr Perfect has additionally re-appointed the rest of his Shadow Cabinet, and a confirmation of shadow portfolios can be found here.
