A council has chosen a "rebellious" new leader after its previous head was elected as an MP.

Camden Council's former finance chief Cllr Richard Olszewski was voted in with a round of applause as councillors met on Monday. He replaces Georgia Gould, who is now MP for Maida Vale and Queen’s Park.

The Labour councillor told the chamber he was "excited" and "humbled and honoured" to be chosen as leader.

"As you can tell I'm not Camden born and bred by my accent," he said.

"There's much said of Camden's rebellious spirit. I come from a Polish family, which it means it's endemic in you to rebel and then I grew up in Scotland; that adds a little spice on top."

He said Camden was a "remarkable borough to have the chance to lead" highlighting its great history and its "great rebellious spirit".

Cllr Richard Olszewski was first elected to represent Regents Park in the 1990s, but left to work as a special adviser to Lord John Reid – one of the home secretaries during Tony Blair’s government.

He has been a councillor in Fortune Green since 2014 and expressed gratitude to the public, who have voted for him. 

"Those of us who are in positions of power within the borough are often challenged vigorously by residents individually," he said.

"We also have a tremendous civic culture in Camden, which is a fantastic additional way in which people's voices are heard in this borough. We have a fantastic cultural mix that keeps us on our toes."

He paid tribute to former leader Georgia Gould, who became the MP for Maida Vale and Queen’s Park at the July 4 general election, describing her as an "inspirational and transformative leader".

He said that having Holborn and St Pancras MP Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, and a Labour government working with the council was an opportunity to build on that.

As well as Ms Gould, former cabinet member for new homes, jobs and community investment Danny Beales and former chief whip Lloyd Hatton were also elected as MPs on July 4, with their positions also needing to be filled.

Cllr Olszewski said he "didn't want to rush" into making cabinet appointments highlighting a "strong cabinet team" but that he would look at it "this week".