Council leader to face vote after Labour decision

A council leader is set to face a vote of no confidence next week amid claims his Green group does not have the "calibre" to run the authority alone.

The Green-Labour coalition that has run Warwick District Council since 2023 is being dissolved by Labour over a new Green Party policy that declared Zionism as racism.

Labour chair Bridget Phillipson issued an ultimatum to local Green leaders to reject the policy and call on national figures to intervene or see their arrangements pulled apart.

Warwick council leader Ian Davison said he was "very happy... the talent we have is great". Former leader Conservative Andrew Day stated he had secured the signatures required for an urgent council meeting.

The Labour Party has pulled out of power-sharing agreements with the Green Party in 11 local councils, after the national party adopted in the policy defining Zionism as a form of racism.

The stance of Warwick District's Greens – that they generally disagreed with the motion, but could not call for the policy to be quashed – saw Labour pull its councillors out of the pact.

The Greens, who have 14 out of 44 seats, announced their intention to continue as a minority administration under Davison's leadership.

He said he intended to name his refreshed cabinet on Wednesday.

Day, who saw a request to debate the leader's future voted down at a previous meeting, believed the Greens were "very divided and do not have the talent" needed to steer the council through key decisions.

He said he had secured the five signatures required for the meeting he believed would be called for 11 November.

Day said: "If the Greens want to carry on a minority administration, the council needs to have confidence in that. I am not sure that is there."

He makes the case for a coalition to see through the final few months of this council, "building consensus" across all parties to get the big decisions through.

Davison said it "takes a long time to get to grips with things and with six months of an administration to run, to say 'let's do things differently' is a recipe for complete disaster".

Asked whether he was confident of winning, he said that was "up to other parties".

"As I have discussed with other group leaders, if there is a sensible, coherent alternative then put it on the table. So far there has been nothing about that."

He stated: "Everyone has the opportunity to have input into the best way forward.

"Over the three-and-a-half years there has been a collaborative approach to most things, 90 per cent."

The council has been approached for comment on the state of play and whether the meeting has been planned for 11 November.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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