Woking Council Records No-Confidence Vote in Tory Leader

Published on: 26 Jul, 2019
Updated on: 26 Jul, 2019

By Rebecca Curley

local democracy reporter

Cllr David Bittleston, Conservative leader of Woking Borough Council, has offered to resign after losing a vote of no confidence.

He has given opposition leaders until Monday lunchtime to decide if they want to form a coalition administration.

If they do, he said he will resign and a special council meeting in September can elect a new leader.

As at Guildford Borough Council, there is no overall ruling majority at Woking after the May local elections where the Conservatives lost one seat.

This left Tories with 14 councillors, Liberal Democrats with 10, and Independents and Labour with three each.

Cllr David Bittleston

As the largest party, the Conservatives elected Cllr Bittleston to continue as council leader. But at a council meeting on Thursday, July 25, councillors said they now found him divisive and arrogant.

The motion of no confidence was put forward by Independent Cllr John Bond who said the Conservatives have “lost the confidence of Woking residents”.

He said: “I hope he is willing to resign and will allow a new leader to stand who will unify this council rather than continue to widen the gap.”

Cllr Tahir Aziz, Labour leader, said he was “disappointed” in Cllr Bittleston who had said he would work with opposition groups to get everyone on board, but felt he had not.

Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, leader of the Lib Dems, said: “This is nothing personal. It’s about some of the behaviours and the way David has run the council and the Executive.”

She said he had shown an “arrogant approach” but stressed that the Lib Dems had not wanted to challenge his leadership in this way, preferring to win more seats to become the larger party and rule in that way.

Looking tired after the four-and-a-half-hour meeting, Cllr Bittleston said: “I’m not going to defend myself. I have done what I think is right. If you wish me to, I will resign. But so will the Executive.”

In defence, Cllr Colin Kemp said: “You cannot take away from what is in his heart. You may not like his approach all the time, but fundamentally what he is trying to do for the council is spot on. If you want a new leader, you have to decide what party that is going to come from.”

Six councillors – three Independents and three Labour – voted to support the motion with no-one voting against but 22 abstaining, including Lib Dems and Tories. The reason for the Conservative abstentions was not stated but is is suspected that by doing so they are challenging the other parties to try and secure enough votes to take power.

Cllr Bittleston has been a WBC serving councillor since 1998 and represents the ward of Mount Hermon.

After the votes were recorded, he said: “I note the discontent of some of the opposition from the Labour group and the Independent group. But I’m not sure what that message is from the rest of the council.

“If that message is that they want me to stand down I will wait until Monday (July 29) lunchtime before I make a decision about what I’m going to do.

“And if the three leaders indicate to me that they wish to have a new leader and form a rainbow coalition I will ask officers to call for a special council meeting on September 12 in which you can elect a new leader.”