THE new Conservative group leader in Brighton and Hove has said he won’t change his colourful and boisterous style in his new role.

Cllr Tony Janio, known for his straight talking, love of Ronald Regan and colourful ties, has been elected unopposed as Conservative leader on Brighton and Hove City Council.

The 55-year-old told The Argus he disliked “big government and big business” and would give the voluntary sector a far more prominent role if the city gave him a mandate at the local elections in two years’ time.

Unions warned they could be on a “collision course” with the new leader if the Tories become the biggest party in the city in 2019.

Cllr Janio was elected at Monday’s AGM to replace outgoing Cllr Geoffrey Theobald who said he would stepping down to give the new leader time to prepare for the next elections.

Patcham Cllr Lee Wares and Woodingdean Cllr Steve Bell were elected as deputy leaders, replacing Andrew Wealls and Dee Simson.

Cllr Janio was elected in Hangleton and Knoll in 2007 and retired from his job with airflight simulator L3 Link in January after 27 years to focus his attention on becoming group leader.

He said: “We genuinely feel that Labour has lost control in the city. You have the Momentum Corbynites behind the scenes and the councillors on the other side.

“I do work with Labour and the Greens for the best interests of the city rather than cause trouble all the time. There are people that would want me to do that all the time.

“The thing about Conservatives is that we conserve. We conserve what’s good and we change what’s bad.”

Cllr Janio, who moved to the city in 1984 as a physics PHD student at Brighton Polytechnic, said leadership would not change his approach. He said: “When I go to full council, I respect the office of the mayor but when I go to a council meeting and its 85F, I will wear my shorts.

“We are Brighton and Hove Conservatives and we are a little bit different. I feel I do have a lot of environmental credentials. If it wasn’t for me the Biosphere would not have happened and I am known as the Woodland Trust trees campaigner.”

Cllr Janio had previously been the group’s deputy chairman and lead spokesman for environment and transport but said leadership had not been a long-held ambition.

He said: “Geoffrey Theobald is standing down at the next election after more than 50 years. He has done the right thing and given us a two year run for the elections.

“I hadn’t been harbouring leadership ambitions for that long. I joined as a ward councillor – I wanted to be a ward councillor and represent the area.

GMB branch secretary Mark Turner said: “I would imagine that our vision of local government and his vision of local government are very, very different things.

“Could we be on a collision course if he were to be next council leader? Possibly. I would hope not. We would try and work with the Conservative group in office or in opposition but based on previous things he has said there is a strong indication we could be at different ends of the spectrum.”