Coventry City Council leader Ann Lucas ousted in Labour Party coup

[dutchman]

The city's Labour Party chief was challenged for the top job by Coun George Duggins



Coventry City Council has a new leader after Ann Lucas was ousted by colleagues in a Labour Party coup.

Coun George Duggins is now in charge of the council after securing the votes to defeat Coun Lucas in a private ballot during the party’s annual meeting tonight.

Coun Lucas had been the leader since May 2013 when she successfully defeated predecessor John Mutton . That vote also saw Coun Phil Townshend take away Coun Duggins’ position as deputy leader of the council.

But Coun Duggins is now back in at the top after defeating Coun Lucas at the second attempt, following a failed leadership challenge in 2015.

That time out he was defeated by six votes, but this vote was always predicted to be much closer - although those in the Lucas camp had been hopeful of a win by two votes when asked by the Telegraph ahead of Thursday’s local elections .

Councillors opposing Coun Lucas had cited unhappiness within the ranks over the handling of the decision to join the West Midlands Combined Authority and work more closely with Birmingham City Council and six other councils in the region.

The election of Coun Duggins is likely to lead to a major reshuffle of the council cabinet and those loyal to Coun Lucas could face a battle to hold onto the top jobs. It is also likely that several of the new leader’s allies would be brought back in from the cold and promoted from the back benches.

Coun Abdul Khan, who was appointed deputy leader following the death of Coun Phil Townshend last year, successfully held onto his position. He had faced a challenge from Coun Jim O’Boyle who has traditionally been loyal to Coun Mutton and Coun Duggins.

Despite Coun Khan’s previously established loyalty to Coun Lucas, both Coun Duggins and Coun Khan expressed to the Telegraph ahead of the vote that they had a willingness to work closely together.

[rebbonk]

And good riddance to the old boot!

[Melisandre]

shame about Jim O Boyle though.

[dutchman]

New leader George Duggins prepares to reshuffle top council jobs



New Coventry City Council leader George Duggins indicated there could be changes to the top jobs at the authority just moments after being elected.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Coun Duggins revealed he will be meeting with senior colleagues in the Labour group tomorrow to decide which cabinet roles will be in place and how they could be filled.

Coun Duggins ousted Coun Ann Lucas during a private vote at the party’s annual meeting tonight - winning by 21 votes to 18.

It is understood the change in leadership could result in several high profile casualties when the cabinet reshuffle is completed. It is likely Coun Duggins will look to bring some of his allies in from the cold after three years of Lucas leadership.

Coun Lucas seized power in May 2013 when she ousted Coun John Mutton and Coun Duggins lost his role as deputy leader.

Coun Duggins told the Telegraph: “I’m delighted as well as humbled that I have the opportunity to lead a council like Coventry City Council. It’s something that is daunting, but very exciting at the same time.

“I want to pay tribute to Ann Lucas who has been the leader of the city council for three years. As I’m about to find out, it’s not going to be an easy task. But I, and the team around me, will give it our best shot.”

Asked of there were likely to be changes to the senior team, he said: “Tomorrow, I’m going to sit down with colleagues in the Labour group executive. I want to look at the portfolios, we will start to consider roles and then from there take final decisions.

“The rules say the decisions about appointments are mine, but I want to talk with senior colleagues before I make any final decisions.”

Questioned about a potential shift of council policies, such as green belt building or membership of the West Midlands Combined Authority, Coun Duggins would not rule anything out.

He said: “I want to look at everything with cabinet members and group members because that’s the way we should do things.

“The new cabinet will be called on to do quite a lot of work around what positions we take on individual cases.”

Asked if citizens were likely to see a noticeable difference in leadership style, Coun Duggins said he was looking to put his stamp on things.

He said: “Leaders have different personalities and their own outlook, we’ll be looking to bring ours to the council. That will, over time, combine with policy direction.

“I want to connect quite firmly with the people of Coventry and what they want.”

oun Abdul Khan was re-elected as deputy leader after his only challenger for the position, Coun Jim O’Boyle, withdrew on the evening.

He told the Telegraph he was looking forward to working with George, despite his previously established loyalty to Ann Lucas.

Coun Khan said: “The group has made the decision. We work together as a team.

“If a team member leaves or the team changes we have to keep perspective and get on with the job.

“Ann is a very dedicated politician and she worked hard to raise the city’s profile.

“I look forward to working with George for the benefit of the city.”

[rebbonk]

I want to pay tribute to Ann Lucas

Deluded fool!

[dutchman]

'I have no intention of sitting at home in my rocking chair' says ousted council leader Ann Lucas



Former Coventry council leader Ann Lucas has opened up about her time in charge of the authority after being ousted by Labour colleagues.

Coun Lucas had been at the helm of the council since May 2013 when she removed Coun John Mutton from the top job while Coun Phil Townshend replaced George Duggins as deputy leader.

But that coup has almost come full circle after Coun Duggins successfully challenged Coun Lucas for the leadership during a private ballot of Labour councillors on Friday evening.

Speaking exclusively to the Telegraph in her first interview since losing the leadership, Coun Lucas said she would support Coun Duggins and had no intention of leaving the council.

Coun Lucas said: “We are a democratic party and I have had three years as leader and hopefully have made a difference.

“The group decided it was time for a change, I abide by the decision and wish George the best of luck with the future.”

She added: “I have two years to run of my term. Anybody who is in the Labour Party knows there’s always a job to be done.

“I have no intention of sitting at home in my rocking chair, knitting.”

Coun Lucas has been the subject of criticism publicly and privately for the decision to sell the council’s share of the Ricoh Arena business to London Wasps and for taking Coventry into a combined authority with Birmingham. But she insists she only ever acted with the backing of Labour councillors.

Speaking about the Ricoh Arena, she said: “What people have to remember is that the leader speaks for the entire group. The one thing I can say hand on heart is that when I was leader, and when John was leader, we spoke on behalf of the whole council.

“The decisions were actions that the whole group thought should be taken.”

[rebbonk]

Even now she doesn't know when to shut up!

[dutchman]

New council leader kicks Tories out of Council House offices after ordering 'revenge' reshuffle

Coventry City Council’s new leadership has been accused of ‘trying to turn the clock back’ after kicking the Conservative opposition out of their Council House offices.

Tory leader Coun John Blundell said it seemed as if new Labour leader Coun George Duggins wanted to erase the memory of his predecessor Coun Ann Lucas after he signed off a reshuffle of the council offices.

Coun Lucas, and her deputy Phil Townshend, stamped their mark on the Earl Street offices by ordering changes after they deposed former leader John Mutton and his then deputy Coun Duggins back in May 2013.

Those moves included booting the Lord Mayor out of his parlour and refurbishing four offices at a reported cost of more than £3,000.

But much of that work is now being undone after Coun Duggins authorised a team, led by Coun John Mutton, to change the offices around once again. The latest batch of moves include moving the Lord Mayor back into his former parlour.

The Conservative Party has also been ordered out of its offices and back into part of the building its councillors occupied when the Labour Party took control of the council back in 2010.

One Conservative councillor said it seemed as if the new leadership was “seeking revenge” on Coun Lucas and trying to put the Tories “back in our place”.

Coun Blundell said: “It’s like they’re trying to turn the clock back on Lucas and Townshend. Wholesale changes are unnecessary, I could understand one or two changes. It would be interesting to find out what the total cost of all this is.

“They just marched in unannounced through John Mutton and told us we would be moving to a different block. He told us we had to be out by the next day.

“It’s like they are trying to erase the memory of the past three years, like they want to forget it ever happened.”

Coventry council has not yet supplied an estimated cost for the office move, but it said changes had been made easier than ever before as councillors now had laptops instead of desktop PCs.

[rebbonk]

I'm not getting a good feeling about Georgie boy!

[Melisandre]

I did tell Dutchman Rebbonk way before Georgie boy got in .

They all can find money when it suits them but cant find money for vital services is what gets me .