WORCESTER’S Labour Group are calling for the City Council to back their proposal to see Coun Paul Denham elected Mayor at tomorrow night’s crucial council meeting.
The plea comes ahead of a full council meeting on Tuesday evening (May 17) where it’s still unclear who will control the council after local elections 10 days ago saw the Conservatives lose their majority at the Guildhall.
Following a Labour Group meeting on Saturday (May 14), leader Coun Adrian Gregson proposed Coun Paul Denham to become Worcester’s next Mayor after the Green Party’s suggestion that politics should be taken out of the mayoralty.
Coun Paul Denham had been put forward for the civic role back in 2014, but lost out on the job after Coun Alan Amos took the role in a move which handed the Conservatives overall control at the Guildhall.
Speaking after the group meeting, Leader of the Labour Group, Coun Gregson, said: “We welcome the Greens’ proposal to take the politics out of the mayoralty by appointing the Mayor on the basis of seniority and, in keeping with that sentiment, we will be proposing Paul Denham for Mayor on Tuesday.
The Labour Group Leader also made a very public plea to the Green Party, who with two councillors now hold the balance of power on the City Council, to try and tempt them to support the Labour Group taking power at the Guildhall.
“With Labour winning the largest share of the vote at the city council elections, 36 per cent, and the Greens a further 15.6 per cent, a clear majority of those who voted did so for the difference of approach represented by Labour and the Greens,” Coun Gregson added.
“Having looked closely at our policies and the Green Party’s, we are struck by the level of agreement on issues such as the need for more affordable housing, tighter controls and better standards in private sector accommodation, improving air quality, promoting energy efficiency and engaging with local communities to enable them to have more say in decisions that affect them.
“And we both agree on the need to stop the privatisation of the city’s Cleaner and Greener service.
“We believe that we owe it to our voters to work for a solution that allows us to pursue the policies set out in our manifesto, particularly bringing Worcester City FC back to Worcester and stopping the privatisation of the Cleaner and Greener service.”
Further talks between the Conservatives, Labour Party and the Green Party were also held today (Monday) to see if a deal could be struck on who runs the City Council.
