Vale of Glamorgan council leader ousted by fellow Tories

John Thomas has led the council since the Tories beat Labour at the 2017 local elections

Vale of Glamorgan council leader John Thomas has been ousted as head of the authority by fellow Conservatives.

Mr Thomas confirmed he was stepping down after local party members backed Vincent Bailey at their annual general meeting on Monday.

It comes after "serious discontent" between Mr Thomas and Tory backbenchers, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Bob Penrose, cabinet member for learning and culture, also resigned.

It comes alongside the departure of regeneration and planning chief Jonathan Bird.

Mr Bird remains in the cabinet as an independent, while Mr Penrose will now be an independent councillor in opposition.

The row over the future of Llancarfan Primary School is understood to have been a factor in Mr Thomas' departure.

'Difficult circumstances'

Mr Thomas described his ousting as "unfair".

"We were under difficult circumstances. It's not easy to do the things that are always popular," he said.

"I think there's no real place for party politics within local government.

"I think the challenge has come from career politicians. I think they are going to struggle to deliver with the kind of messages they are sending out now."

During the issues over Llancarfan Primary School, several councillors joined parents in opposition to a decision to relocate pupils to a new school to be built in Rhoose, which they claimed amounted to a closure of Llancarfan.

Gordon Kemp was the only cabinet member to object to the plan, and he was later sacked when he joined 10 other Conservative councillors in refusing to back last month's council budget.

The row over a village primary school has divided the ruling Conservative group

The LDRS said there was also "serious discontent" with Mr Thomas among Tory backbenchers over a series of PR blunders, including proposals for new parking charges throughout the Vale of Glamorgan.

Mr Thomas had been leader since the May 2017 election.

Mr Bailey, who chairs the council's environment and regeneration scrutiny committee, was one one of the newly elected Tory councillors that year.