Conservative Party loses control of Dudley Council

Labour is now running Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

The Conservative Party has lost control of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

The authority is now being led by the Labour Party, following a vote to remove Conservative council leader Patrick Harley on Wednesday.

The vote happened after former Conservative councillor Heather Rogers, now an independent, raised concerns over bullying.

Mr Harley denied the party had received any formal complaints about bullying in recent years.

Labour's councillor Peter Lowe will now lead the council.

The vote was swayed by councillor Rogers switching her support to Labour, giving them a two-person majority with 37 votes, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

She said: "On the motion in hand, should the leader of the council be removed from office?

"On the evidence I have seen, yes he should."

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Responding to the allegations of bullying councillor Harley said: "A lot what you say is absolutely right, there is bullying in both main parties."

But he went on to point out the Conservative group had not received any formal written complaint about bullying since 2013.

Speaking to BBC WM he added "perhaps some people in politics need to get a thicker skin".

The local authority has seen the leadership switch three times in 18 months.

Labour took over the council with 37 to 35 votes

Analysis

BBC Sunday Politics reporter Rob Mayor

Labour regain control of Dudley, but this council is still on a knife edge.

New leader Pete Lowe says a priority will be to review plans for a travellers site in Coseley which have angered local residents.

Patrick Harley's leadership of the Conservative group is also under extreme pressure.

One senior Conservative councillor told me his performance at the vote last night was "career ending" while a former Tory leader said it was "time for him to fall on his sword".

The fate of the Tory Leadership in Dudley will be decided behind the scenes over the next few weeks and with the two parties separated by just one seat, elections in May are looming large.