Councillor Adrian Gregson was re-elected as Leader of Worcester City Council on Tuesday night. This is excellent news for Labour in the City and demonstrates the success of our last year in control. In a vote which had the Green Party Councillors in full support of the Labour leadership, Adrian had to see off the threat of Marc Bayliss, Conservative Leader

Despite whisperings and inferences for the last six months that Labour would remain in control of the Leadership it came down to a single vote at Council.

The new constitution which was subject to prolonged debated and scrutiny since before Christmas was also agreed.

Having been the main proponents of the move to the committee system and remove the Labour Cabinet, Cllr Bayliss chose at the last minute to move an amendment to try and grasp a co-leadership model.

Last week in the local paper he had demanded that he be Leader, alone. Then he proposed that there should be co-leaders. And on the morning of Council Cllr Mitchell (Conservative) again made a bid for a Conservative leadership – even though he already knew he was proposing a motion for joint leadership!

Naked ambition stalks the Guildhall.

That left Cllr Gregson ironically having to propose a new constitution for something that he had really not been keen on.

Nevertheless, Adrian said he and the Labour Group have had their arguments over the new system and now are fully committed to making it work. To work properly the system needs all councillors get behind it. It needs all councillors working for the benefit of local people to deliver services for the public and main our partners such as developers, the University and the arts, culture and voluntary sectors.

It remains to be seen how far the Conservative Group leadership will demonstrate their earlier commitment now that it is clear they do not have the leadership role.