Council leader could be voted out after row

Kirklees Council's leader, Councillor Cathy Scott

The leader of Kirklees Council will face a vote of no confidence after councillors said she had "no legitimate mandate" to hold the role.

Councillor Cathy Scott previously led the council's Labour group, but resigned from the party in May and has since sat as an independent.

The remaining Labour members have tabled the motion for 17 July.

Mrs Scott said that her former party had "moved further away" from her values.

If the vote was passed, she would be removed from her position as leader under constitutional rules.

The motion read: “We believe that the current leader and their new group have no legitimate mandate from this council or from the people of Kirklees. Leadership from this small and newly formed minority party is not sustainable.

“We therefore resolve to see the current leader removed from office and for a new leader be properly elected by this council.”

The group referred to is Mrs Scott's new Kirklees Community Alliance, which includes five other ex-Labour councillors, four of them Cabinet members, who are now independent.

Mrs Scott left the Labour group after Councillor Carole Pattison was selected as the new leader.

Councillor Carole Pattison took over the role of leader of the Labour group on Kirklees Council

Ms Pattison described the situation as "untenable".

She added: "We are the seventh largest metropolitan borough in the country, we are not playing games here. As leader of the council, you have the job of providing a massive service."

Following the no confidence vote, Ms Pattison would hope to be elected council leader as the head of the largest party.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mrs Scott described the claim as "absolute nonsense".

She added: "The Labour group needs to stop their tittle-tattle and focus on the people of Kirklees.

“I am elected leader of the council by councillors in this chamber. If they are challenging, that’s their prerogative.”

Mrs Scott reiterated that Kirklees Council’s governance needed a “new generation”, with cross-party collaboration and no affiliation to one political party. The councillor also said she wanted to retain her leadership and the current Cabinet.

She added that she thought the Labour group having the most councillors should not necessarily mean they had a mandate to lead.

Labour's Councillor Graham Turner, who has signed the motion, criticised the effectiveness of the current Cabinet.

Mr Turner said: "The people of Kirklees need an effective Cabinet. The Cabinet makes the policy decisions, sets the strategy and at the moment that is not happening."

The majority of the council would have to vote against Ms Scott for her to lose the position. A new leader would then be elected at the same meeting.

The Liberal Democrats' Councillor John Lawson said: "“The current arrangement is not serving the residents in Kirklees and we need to get on with the business of council.

"Whichever way the vote goes the Liberal Democrat group will try to work with the administration and others to benefit our communities."

The council's Conservative and Green Party groups were also contacted for comment.