Council leader to face no confidence vote

A city council leader is facing a no confidence vote just two months into her reign.

Karen Kilgour became the first female leader in Newcastle City Council’s history when she was installed in October, following Nick Kemp’s resignation.

But she is set to face a vote of no confidence on Wednesday after a motion by the Liberal Democrats, the local authority's second largest party.

If the motion is passed, Kilgour would be removed and a new leader appointed at the next council meeting in mid-January.

It comes after Kemp and five other city councillors quit Labour last month to become independents, shifting the council into 'no overall control'.

Kemp resigned as leader in September, after it emerged that he was the subject of a bullying complaint from a senior council director.

The no confidence motion, proposed by Lib Dem councillor Christine Morrissey, said the council believed Kilgour could not continue "without a clear mandate".

"Council notes that the chamber is now in no overall control, following the defection of six Labour members to independent status," it read.

"Council believes that the leader cannot continue in post without a clear mandate from council, as now constituted, which can only be tested through a vote under Article Seven of the Constitution."

Labour currently hold 39 seats in the council, with the rest occupied by 22 Lib Dems, 11 independents, three from the Newcastle Independents party, two Green Party councillors, and one Conservative.

A spokesperson for the local authority said if the motion was agreed on Wednesday, a new leader would have to be appointed at the next council meeting.

"Until a new leader is appointed, the remaining members of cabinet will act in the leader’s place," the spokesperson added.

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