Cherwell stalemate as district council fails to secure new leader

Votes took place for the Conservatives' Barry Wood (left) and Labour's Sean Woodcock

Councillors are at a stalemate over who will run an authority following the results of the local elections.

A vote of no confidence removed Conservative Barry Wood as leader of Cherwell District Council after the party lost overall control.

But no agreement has yet been reached on who will replace him following a meeting on Wednesday evening.

It means there is currently no elected leader or administration running the council.

Three votes were held on whether Mr Wood should return as leader of a Conservative minority administration, but they were voted down each time.

Labour group leader Sean Woodcock also lost a vote to become leader.

'Obstinacy'

Mr Woodcock told the BBC: "Clearly the Conservatives have lost the trust of not only people across the country but Cherwell, so [Barry Wood] remaining as leader was totally unacceptable.

"But Labour as the largest opposition party provided an alternative in myself, and all of the other parties voted against that.

"Those are the only two proposals on the table, so I'm not really sure what happens next to be frank."

The Conservatives lost overall control of Cherwell District Council in the local elections

Nick Cotter, from the Progressive Oxfordshire Alliance, a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Greens, and Independents, said he believed there was a majority for a progressive administration, including Labour councillors.

He said: "A deal had been done between Labour and our group, including the Greens… it was essentially all signed off and sealed.

"It was awaiting confirmation of the name of the group, and then suddenly Councillor Woodcock pulls the whole deal, so that's the situation we're in now.

"I think it's incumbent on the Labour group, if they are serious about governing locally and nationally, to come back to the table and sort this matter out."

Mr Wood said there was a "degree of obstinacy" between the two sides.

"If the non-Conservatives can't reach an agreement because they're inept, or there's some fundamental point of principle, whatever it is… then say so," he said.

"All you have to do then is sit on your hands and allow a minority administration to be set up like they do everywhere else. This is not difficult."

Councillors will discuss the matter again on Tuesday.

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