Reform brings council leader no confidence motion

Reform UK has brought a motion of no confidence in Worcestershire County Council leader Matt Jenkins and said it was "outrageous" the largest party on the local authority had been excluded from running it.

A Conservative/Green/Lib Dem/independents coalition gained power in May, when Reform group leader Alan Amos's bid was defeated. But the cabinet had to be changed when national Tory leader Kemi Badenoch intervened.

Amos said Worcestershire people "did not vote for a far-left coalition run by Greens and Lib Dems".

Matt Jenkins, who was named the coalition leader, said the move by Reform seemed "like sour grapes" because the party "didn't get the leadership".

The motion is set to be debated in a full council meeting on Thursday.

Reform has 22 councillors, while there are 12 Conservatives, eight Greens, seven Lib Dems, six independents and two Labour.

The coalition's cabinet was named but quickly had to be changed when Badenoch intervened.

Deputy council leader Adam Kent, who struck a deal with the Green Party and others to oust the council's minority Reform administration, was suspended by Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) as the Tory group leader.

He has said he could not comment on his situation, although he was believed to have a vastly different version of events that led to his suspension.

Three Conservative councillors, Adrian Hardman, Marcus Hart and Karen May, quit the power-sharing cabinet, after CCHQ intervened.

Amos said the current administration was "only elected on the back of a party which withdrew its support within 55 minutes".

The Reform group leader stated the administration had "no legitimacy because it has excluded by far the largest party" and that was "why we've brought this motion".

Jenkins said of Reform's motion: "Firstly, I don't think they've got the numbers.

"Secondly, I haven't even had my first full council meeting as leader yet - I think this is a little bit premature.

"We've had two cabinet meetings and set out some of our top priorities - sorting out the council's finances, making savings, not raising council tax by more than 5% and preparing for local government reorganisation (LGR)."

Cabinet members were "setting out their own areas", Jenkins added.

He said: "I think residents want people to work together. This seems to be about playing politics."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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