Council leader voted out after no confidence motion

A council leader has been voted out following a motion of no confidence.

Gloucester City councillors ousted leader Jeremy Hilton earlier by 21 votes to 18 over claims of financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency, after the bid to remove him from the authority was submitted last week.

Hilton has led a minority administration since the Liberal Democrats became the largest party on the council after the May 2024 elections.

Hilton declined to comment after the vote.

Councillor Alastair Chambers, who submitted the item for the full council meeting, attempted to pass the motion of no confidence in Hilton last year, but time ran out for it to be discussed.

Chambers previously said there was "nothing personal" in his attempt to remove the former leader, but added that the authority needed change.

He said: "He has an excuse for everything and takes responsibility for absolutely nothing."

Hilton has previously said the motion was "precisely the distraction Gloucester does not need" and he claimed there was a difference between "constructive challenge" and "perpetuating political psychodrama".

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