THE OUSTED leader of Worcester City Council has slammed the city’s Conservatives for the ‘political opportunism’ which saw him ditched during a stormy meeting at the Guildhall.
Labour leader Coun Adrian Gregson, who will revert to deputy leader of the council, blasted new leader Coun Marc Bayliss and his party and questioned why the Tories weren’t willing to wait for the outcome of the City Council elections on May 3.
Tory deputy leader Coun Chris Mitchell proposed the City Council leader should be the leader of largest party on the authority, which currently has 17 Conservative councillors, 15 Labour members and two Green Party reprentatives.
He admitted the move was political but said it was needed for democracy and the legitmacy of the council and told the meeting last Tuesday the Conservatives secured 48.5 per cent of the vote in the 2017 local elections while Labour polled 42.8 per cent yet Coun Gregson was elected leader of council.
Coun Gregson attacked the decision to bring the vote to the last council meeting before the May 3 poll and said:
“Naked ambition stalks this chamber and it is not a pretty sight.”
“Why now when we agreed the Leader/Deputy Leader model in good faith with a review after 12 months.
“We are sticking to our side of the bargain and we have striven to make this new system of governance work. It is not perfect and we are right to review it, but not with one hand tied behind our back, as this motion does.”
The Rainbow Hill councillor told the meeting he had reduced his working hours to fulfill the role and had always been ‘available and accountable to other councillors’
“What I have learnt from my experience as leader is simple – negotiation and commitment to a binding agreement are not worth the paper they are written on when you deal with Marc Bayliss,” he added.
Labour’s Coun Geoff Williams and Coun Paul Denham voiced their disproval of the proposals and Coun Jo Hodges, who is standing for election in Warndon on May 3, accused the Conservatives of using the resignation of Coun Elaine Williams to force the move through.
“I do think it’s despicable the party opposite has used Elaine’s departure in a bid to grab power, shame on you.”
Green leader Coun Louis Stephen branded the Conservative proposals ‘petty and grasping’ and said: “It will say to the people of Worcester – our interests first, your interests second. It will say to business, we are a city that changes with the wind.”
Coun Stephen proposed an amendment calling for co-leaders of the council for the next year but it was overwhelmingly rejected by Labour and Tory councillors.
In response, Coun Bayliss said: “Coun Gregson shed no tears when he became leader two years ago with the backing of a minority party. I will shed no tears if I become leader with the backing of the largest party here.”
“As for my credentials to be leader, I have been a member of this council for 16 years and never missed a council meeting and don’t think many councillors can say that.”
A vote on the proposals saw 17 Conservatives back the plans while the Labour and Green Party voted against.
Mayor of Worcester Coun Steve McKay used his casting vote to back his party’s plan.
