Conservative group to vote on motion of no confidence in Royal Borough leader

The Conservative group at the Royal Borough is to vote on a no confidence motion in leader Simon Dudley following the controversy over his calls for police to remove homeless people from the streets of Windsor in advance of the Royal Wedding.

The Advertiser understands the motion was proposed on Saturday and accepted by party officials. Members will vote on whether to remove him as leader at the next group meeting on January 22.

The motion needs support from a minimum of 26 of the 51-strong Tory group to pass. If it succeeds Cllr Dudley (Con, Riverside) will have to step down as leader of the Conservative group and will no longer be able to be leader of the council.

A party source told the Advertiser: “This is a back him or sack him motion. This isn’t a vote about homelessness but about the handling of the issue.

“People keeping their heads down is not what being a councillor is about. The country needs to know that condoning what he said by silence is not the way to behave.”

The news comes after it was revealed today that opposition councillors have requested a motion of no confidence in Cllr Dudley.

Opposition councillor Wisdom Da Costa (Ind, Clewer North) tweeted to say the motion of no confidence has been requested after the events of the last week 'brought the council and councillors into disrepute'.

The opposition group comprises councillors Malcolm Beer, Wisdom Da Costa, Charles Hollingsworth, Lynne Jones, Claire Stretton and Simon Werner.

UPDATE:

The opposition motion has been accepted by the Mayor for inclusion on the Monday, January 29 meeting agenda.