Leader blames infighting for decision to quit
COUNCIL leader Michael Jones has blamed party infighting after announcing he is to step down from the role.
The Express reported last week that Coun Jones who has led the council for three years was set to quit.
He formally announced his resignation at a press conference on Wednesday (December 9) saying he will step down on December 21 but that he leaves the council in a “better state than when he took over”.
Coun Jones told the gathering that he is stepping down to stop ‘blue on blue’ infighting in his party – and said that the move is nothing to do with a row over contracts issued to a company run by his physiotherapist.
In front of a packed room of journalists at the council’s headquarters in Sandbach, he said: “I have said many times I would not resign.
“One shouldn’t resign when you’ve done nothing wrong. The only thing that ever overrides that is the blue on blue party issue.
“I will not support a blue on blue attack in my party. So I will not be leader of a party or a group that is blue on blue.
“That was the image that came on Monday and Tuesday from constituency chairs who gave me examples to show they were trying to encourage that.
“I won’t put up with it. So I will not lead my party Finance and Assets Portfolio Holder on the Cabinet. He’s a Conservative councillor for Nantwich South and Stapeley and lives in Bulkeley. any further. notice to quit.
“I’ve called a group leadership election on January 14 and I will then step down at the next council meeting from being leader of this council.
I give my Cabinet member for Children and Families and secretary for the Cheshire East Conservative group. She represents Audlem as a Conservative councillor and lives in Sandbach.
“I’ve had over 60 correspondences from residents asking me not to go.
“But I will not support blue on blue insinuations of bullying, a culture of bullying in my party in Cheshire East. I will lead by example. I’ve called for unity in my group, I expect unity.
“I leave the council in a better state then when I started. I have got a track record of achievement few can match.”
News of his decision to leave emerged on Tuesday (December 8), minutes before the Express was due to go to press after Coun Jones told a private meeting of Conservative councillors that he intended to announce his resignation.
In recent weeks the council has faced calls for an external investigation over three contracts worth up to £156,000 issued to Core Fit, a company run by Michael Jones’s physiotherapist Amanda Morris, after the normal tendering process was waived.
Coun Hilda Gaddum, who is also a councillor for Sutton, had said that the row had left Coun Jones’s position ‘untenable’
The Cheshire East leader has stated he played no part in awarding the contracts to run fitness sessions in schools and community centres and has said that he had “no knowledge” of the contracts until the Express started asking questions in October.
Senior council officers have said that the normal rules were waived to allow a pilot scheme run by Core Fit to continue.
Coun Jones said he was not involved in the waiver process.
Council chief executive Mike Suarez said last month there has been no ‘unlawful expenditure’ or any breach of EU procurement rules and that he can see no need for an external investigation.
Coun Jones said his resignation is nothing to do with the Core Fit row.
Coun Jones, who says he will stay on as councillor for Bunbury, told the press conference that there is no evidence to connect him to the Core Fit contracts.
Amanda Morris has been unavailable for comment.