A NEW chairman has been appointed to Surrey County Council following the resignation of Peter Martin over “thoughtless and outdated” comments he made in a job interview.

Councillor Tony Samuels said he wished his move from vice-chairman to the top spot had been a “happier occasion”.

Former chairman Peter Martin resigned on September 26, saying he used language that “lacked empathy and cultural awareness” toward a candidate he was interviewing.

He said he “showed a lapse of good judgment” for his “thoughtless and outdated remarks” and that he felt he had to resign because he had not been “consistent” with the “values of public service and civic duty” he holds very highly.

Neither Mr Martin nor the council have said what the comments were.