The Conservatives will continue to lead Bolton Council after their leader Martyn Cox topped the poll in a ‘run off’ vote by councillors. At the annual general meeting of the council today members of the 60-strong council were unable to come to a majority decision on the leadership with a motion to appoint Coun Cox voted down.
A Labour amendment to the motion seeking to appoint Coun Nick Peel to the role was also defeated. That led to a run off, with Coun Cox getting 27 votes and Coun Peel 19.
Twelve councillors voted ‘none of the above’. They included three, Liberal Democrats, two Farnworth and Kearsley First members, the two Horwich and Blackrod councillors and the two One Kearsley members.
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The vote means Coun Cox will lead the minority Tory group in forming an administration and he will appoint a cabinet from his party group. Since gaining control of the council in 2019 the Conservatives have twice formed agreements with other political groups on points of mutual interest to govern the borough.
However, the five-strong Liberal Democrat group left that arrangement last year and other smaller parties have also had disagreements with the ruling group meaning their co-operation ceased. It is understood there have been no such arrangements made after local elections earlier this month.
Of the 60 members of the council, the Conservatives have the largest number of councillors with 23.
Labour have 19 and the Liberal Democrats five, hyperlocal parties Farnworth and Kearsley First have three councillors, Horwich and Blackrod First and One Kearsley have two each and Little Lever and Darcy Lever First have a single member.
The remaining five seats are Independents.
The scheduling of that meeting came under attack from Liberal Democrat leader Coun Roger Hayes after the date was brought forward at relatively short notice from its original date of 7pm on May 25 to 10am on February 18.
He claimed that both the Conservatives and Labour changed the time and date as they both had several councillors who would be absent which could have affected the leadership vote.
Speaking after the meeting, Labour leader Nick Peel,said: “Yet again, independent councillors have chosen to prop up an unelected Tory administration.
“We said at the election, that a vote for any other party other then Labour does lead to a Tory council, and again this has been shown to be factual.
“Labour will continue as an effective opposition and continue to challenge this failing Tory council.”
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