Former Conservatives try to oust Sevenoaks chief after splitting from the group in May
Council leader faces vote of no confidence
A council leader claims he is happy to face a vote of no confidence from former party colleagues next week.
The Conservatives lost overall control of Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) in May when seven members split and formed a splinter group, the West Kent Independents (WKI), following months of mounting tensions.
There have been calls for the resignation of leader Cllr Roddy Hogarth since the walk-out but he claims being held to account is “part of public life”.
The WKI motion to go before Sevenoaks District Council members on October 16 states: “This council resolves that it has no confidence in the leader.”
Cllr Hogarth said: “I am in the position as both the leader of the Conservative group and leader of the council. The leadership of the council is by a democratic vote and people voted for me on the basis of what was best for the council.
“I am taking this vote as a reassessment of that. I want to be the best leader in the best interests of the residents.”
Asked if the motivation behind the motion might be personal, Cllr Hogarth said:”I’m not the person bringing the motion and you would have to ask the people bringing the motion about the personal aspects.
“I have stood aside from the personal aspects.
“I am happy to be called to account because that is public life. If I get the vote, then it’s an endorsement of my leadership.”
The Conservatives currently have 24 members, the Liberal Democrats 14, WKI nine, Green Party four and three other independents.
It seems unlikely that WKI can successfully mount a successful challenge without the support of the Lib Dems or a poor turnout from the Conservatives, reports the local democracy service.
SDC councillor and deputy group leader of the Liberal Democrats at Kent County Council, Cllr Richard Streatfeild, said it was a “psychodrama” being played out between the ruling Tory group and its former members.
He added: “They (WKI) have come to the conclusion that this is the only way to get Roddy Hogarth to resign. The trouble is that they don’t have the numbers and they are in no different a position than they were a few months ago when they left the Conservatives.”
Asked if the Lib Dems would side with WKI to remove Cllr Hogarth, he said: “We are not chumming up with anyone. We don’t have much faith in the current administration but we also know that the residents want us to get on with the issues that affect them, such as the Local Plan.
“We would agree to a coalition on policies but since we would be the biggest party in that coalition then we would expect to lead it.”
The WKI group, when approached for a comment, called it an "extraordinary meeting of the Council to table a motion of no confidence".
“Strong leadership is vital to deliver transparent decision-making, rebuild confidence, and focus on the priorities that matter most – protecting our towns and villages and supporting local services. We simply do not believe that the current Council Leader has the right qualities to meet such a challenge.”
"Residents deserve a leader who is ambitious for their communities, responsive to their needs and able to restore trust and confidence amongst their fellow councillors and officers at the Council.