Solihull Council to ease conditions needed to remove council leader
Calls were made to change the procedure after it was branded too "restrictive"
Last updated 27th Jul 2025
The rules on removing Solihull Council’s political leader have been recommended to be changed after being criticised for being too restrictive.
Councillor Max McLoughlin, the leader of the Green Party opposition group on the authority, had previously stressed to current leader Councillor Karen Grinsell it was not personal but that he wanted to bring the council in line with other councils.
Like most local authorities in England Conservative-run Solihull Council operates a leader and cabinet system – brought in in the early 2000s.
After recently reviewing the constitution, Coun McLoughlin had raised an issue in the council’s constitution on removing a council leader.
At the last full council meeting, held earlier this month, he brought a motion which said: “At present it is only possible to remove the leader in Solihull when there is a ‘change in political control of the council’.
“Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton council constitutions all allow for the leader of their respective councils to be removed by a majority vote of council.”
Coun Grinsell has faced pressure since taking the top position in May with four Conservative councillors quiting the ruling party.
But at that meeting the Coun McLoughlin said: “I want to make it very clear this is not something targeted at either the current or previous leader.
“The problem is if we end up where we have someone who we do need to remove, there is no mechanism to do so.”
Coun Grinsell replied: “I won’t take it personally”, before successfully moving the motion went to the council’s governance committee for consideration.
At that committee’s latest meeting held on Thursday, (July 24), Coun McLoughlin presented the motion again saying he understood that legally: “Any council with a cabinet has to have a mechanism where the leader can be removed by resolution.
“I don’t know how this could possibly have happened – it (the legislation) does not offer the opportunity for any caveats there.
“Solihull Council has introduced something that no other local authority has which says ‘following a change in political control’.”
Conservative committee member Councillor Bob Sleigh said: “If there is a requirement (to change) I would be the first to support, absolutely.
“I would have assumed if the majority (of councillors) lose confidence in a leader of a council there has got to be a mechanism where that can be tested, and that person can be removed?”
The council’s solicitor Andrew Kinsey responded: “The main element (of the constitution) for removal of the leader is by resolution of the council but it does have a restriction that’s following a change in political control.”
Coun Sleigh said he was “totally supportive” of removing that restriction and Councillor Ade Adeyemo, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the authority, agreed adding it was a “sensible thing to do”.
Committee members unanimously agreed for a constitution change to be recommeded with the matter now needing to be rubber stamped by full council.
In the past councils nationally have held votes of no confidence not linked to a change in the political composition – including at Derby City Council where councillors voted out a leader last year.