York coalition to hold talks over executive suspensions

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat partnership has been thrown into crisis following the removal of two Liberal Democrat members, including deputy leader Keith Aspden, from the council’s executive by Conservative council leader David Carr.

His decision prompted protests from the Lib Dems and their remaining executive members boycotted a meeting last week.

Coun Carr has now threatened to appoint his own deputy leader if the Lib Dems do not put forward a candidate for the role by the end of the week.

Coun Aspden and fellow Lib Dem Coun Nigel Eyre were removed from their posts last week with Coun Carr claiming they face serious allegations over their conduct.

Details of the allegations have not been made public although it is understood they in part relate to the alleged leaking of council information.

Coun Carr said: “We have endeavoured to play this strictly by the book following outside legal advice.

“We gave the two councillors a chance to stand down on their own, which they declined to take. There are several points during the Standards Committee process when it would have been appropriate for us to act, but had we not acted when we did I have no doubt that our own group would have been accused of complacency and perhaps of a cover up.”

Coun Carr said he was willing to hand over Coun Aspden and Coun Eyre’s responsibilities to other Lib Dem councillors.

He added: “At the very least we need the Liberal Democrats to name a deputy leader, which is a [York Council] constitutional requirement, who must be a member of the executive, and if they do not put someone forward for this position by the end of the week I may be forced to name my own.”

In a letter to Coun Carr at the weekend, Lib Dem group chairman Coun Stephen Fenton accused the Conservatices of breaking the terms of their coalition agreement through the removal of the two executive members.

Failure to find a way forward could see the council left under the control of a minority Conserative administration or the formation of a ‘rainbow coalition’ involving Labour and green councillors.

The coalition has run the authority since 2015.