Clive Hart elected as Labour leader for Thanet council

Clive Hart was elected as council leader by two votes

Thanet Council has a Labour leader after Conservative leader Robert Bayford was removed in a narrow vote.

Clive Hart was elected by 28 votes to 26, with one abstention, at Thursday night's council meeting.

Thanet became a hung council after the May local elections, with 27 Tories, 26 Labour and three Independents.

However, the recent resignation of a Conservative councillor to join the Independents prompted a motion from Mr Hart to remove the Conservative leader.

Thanet is now the second council in Kent with a Labour leader.

Gravesham became a Labour council following the local elections.