now mayor of crisis council faces vote of no confidence

Labour group leader Joe Blackham said the vote, which may also call for the removal of the mayor’s appointed cabinet, was now “inevitable”.

Constitutionally, the mayor cannot be forced out of office, but opposition councillors believe their concern about the authority’s governance has to be registered.

Group leaders are due to meet today and are likely to press ahead with the no confidence vote in the next fortnight.

Garth Oxby, Independent Alliance leader, said: “I’m quite appalled that we should be down to this state of affairs in Doncaster again. I cannot understand where we are going.”

Paul Coddington, Liberal Democrat group leader, described the situation between Mayor Davies and interim chief executive Tim Leader as “loopy” and added: “In my 11 years as a councillor I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it.”

He said the government should intervene further in managing the authority, having already taken control of children’s services.

Tim Leader’s letter to Mayor Davies accused him of further undermining the authority’s credibility by trying to remove him.

Despite the furore, Mr Leader went to London yesterday to meet officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government.