CHESHIRE East Council leader Michael Jones is celebrating being shortlisted for a national local government award.

Cllr Jones is one of three leading members of Cheshire East Council who have been nominated for 2015 C’llr Achievement Awards.

The C’llr Awards are organised by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), a think tank that also publishes C’llr magazine.

Cllr Jones said: “Being in politics is not about personal awards, it’s about achieving things for residents.

“The real reward for me is to serve the people of Cheshire East by bringing them more jobs, better education and longer, healthier lives in the north west’s best place to live.

“People should not become councillors for personal gratification.”

Cllr Don Stockton, Cabinet member in charge of housing and jobs, has also been nominated for Neighbourhood Planner of the Year.

Cabinet member in charge of safeguarding children and adults Cllr Rachel Bailey is on the shortlist for the Partnership Achievement of the Year award and Cllr Jones is up for Leader of the Year.

It’s a stark turn of events for the council leader, who just last month faced calls to resign over the ‘Tweetgate’ scandal.

A freedom of information request revealed that members of Cllr Jones’ communications team had been tweeting politically-driven messages through the council leader’s personal Twitter account.

UKIP leader for Willaston and Rope ward Cllr Brian Silvester, who was recently threatened with legal action by Cheshire East Council, called for Cllr Jones to step down over the scandal.

Cllr Silvester, who has been one of Cllr Jones’ fiercest critics, said of the nomination: “This must be a joke, an April Fools or something?

“Anyone who knows him knows he’s a calamity. How the hell he can be nominated is beggars belief. He just moves from one calamity to another.

“It’s not just in Cheshire East that he’s known as a calamity, he’s known all over the UK.

“I’ve never met a councillor like him in 39 years. There is no way on earth he can get that award. If Cllr Jones won the Local Government Information Unit would be a laughing stock.”

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in March.