A NEW leader-in-waiting for Worcestershire County Council can today be revealed - with Simon Geraghty poised to take on the top job.

Your Worcester News can reveal how the Conservative - one of the city's best-known public figures - will officially stand as the new leader to replace Councillor Adrian Hardman after his drink-drive arrest.

And he is now almost certain to stand unopposed - with all other likely contenders turning down the chance to throw their hats into the ring.

The 39-year-old's move will have a dramatic impact on Worcester City Council, which is now likely to be looking for a new leader of its own.

Councillor Geraghty became leader of the city council in 2006 and apart from one 12-month stint in opposition in the 2013/14 year, has been at its helm.

But in the event of him taking over at County Hall, where he has been deputy leader for five years, a vacancy will open up to run the city's affairs, sparking its first leadership contest in a decade.

After a frenetic few days of activity, all four remaining Tory cabinet members at the county council touted as possible rivals today confirmed they would not stand against Councillor Geraghty - leaving the door wide open for him.

Fellow Conservative cabinet members Anthony Blagg, Marc Bayliss and Sheila Blagg also said they will support him in his quest to be new leader.

We can also reveal how Councillor Marcus Hart, the last remaining possible contender from the current leadership, has said he would rather focus on his role running Wyre Forest District Council than contest the top job in local government in Worcestershire.

Councillor Geraghty told your Worcester News: "Working besides Adrian (Hardman) has been superb, and he's left a great legacy for this county.

"We need to come to terms with the fact we need a new leader, and I will be putting myself forward to lead the Conservative group and the county council.

"I'm not presumptive about anything, it will first be up to others to decide, but I've been deputy for over five years, I'm the person to unite this group.

"I've got the benefit of nearly 10 years leadership experience at the city council, that's great preparation - I know this is a much bigger job but I am ready to take this county forward."

If the deal can be sealed it will signal a rapid rise in Councillor Geraghty's career, who was first elected in 2000 at the city council aged just 23, to take on Worcestershire's toughest and highest-profile local government job just 16 years later.

The net budget Councillor Geraghty oversees at the city council is around £10 million, but at County Hall it stands at around £327 million - with the leader ultimately accountable for everything from elderly care to the welfare of every child in the county, education, the environment and roads.

Councillor Bayliss is now expected to be in pole position to take over at Worcester City Council within weeks, where he holds the deputy leader's position, in the likely event of Councillor Geraghty stepping down at the Guildhall.

Today, Councillor Bayliss said: "I'll be supporting Simon to lead the county council, he's undoubtedly the right man for the job.

"He's done a fantastic job leading the city council for nearly 10 years.

"I'm very happy to be a deputy and (leading the city council) is not something I have yearned for, but if there was a vacancy, I'd want to be considered for it.

"I'd be interested in putting my name forward if that happens - I love the city, love Worcester and that would be a huge honour, it's certainly something I'd want to consider."

Councillor Anthony Blagg said: "I won't be standing as the new county council leader and I'll be supporting Simon - so will Sheila as well (Sheila Blagg, his wife and fellow cabinet member)."

Councillor Blagg, who is the current cabinet member for the environment, added: "I was very shocked like everyone else with what happened to Adrian (Hardman).

"With a major Christmas police campaign, it was more likely by the law of averages that a high-profile person would be caught in the net.

"But he's admitted it and called it a gross misjudgement, he's done the right thing in stepping down.

"As a leader he's really brought the council forward."

Councillor Hart said: "I'm very happy leading Wyre Forest District Council, I won't be putting my name forward at the county."

We revealed yesterday how fellow cabinet member Lucy Hodgson has ruled herself out, while Councillor John Smith is not interested and John Campion is standing to be the next police and crime commissioner from May - effectively ruling him out of the County Hall vacancy.

Councillor Hardman is appearing at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Monday, January 18 charged with drink driving.

We exclusively revealed on Monday how the 59-year-old was pulled over by police in Tewkesbury, just a four-minute drive from his Bredon home, and failed a breath test.

He has since called the incident a "gross misjudgement" and said he had "fallen short of the standards" required of the top job.

The opposition Labour group has been calling for him to quit as a councillor but he will remain on the backbenches, representing his division of Bredon, until the May 2017 elections.

Councillor Hardman emailed his group on Sunday to tell them of his intention to quit.

HOW WILL THE LEADERSHIP CONTEST WORK?

A NEW leader of Worcestershire County Council will be confirmed on Thursday, January 14 but a lot of activity needs to happen before then.

Firstly the Conservative Party, which holds 33 of the 57 seats at County Hall, needs to elect its own group leader to replace Councillor Hardman.

Nominations from leadership hopefuls opened at midday today and will close on Thursday, January 7.

Then on the morning of Friday, January 8 the Tory group will meet at County Hall to take part in a secret ballot, which each councillor getting one vote.

A new group leader will be elected with the largest tally of votes and can get to work immediately on preparing a new-look cabinet.

That group leader will then become the prospective new leader of Worcestershire County Council, which all 57 councillors from the different political parties will get to vote on on Thursday, January 14.

That final vote will be a formality as the Conservatives hold such a strong majority, with nine more seats than the rest put together.

* To see how Councillor Adrian Hardman resigned click HERE.

* To see how we broke the story of his arrest and charge for drink driving go HERE.