Councillors quit Tory group as leader survives vote of no confidence
TWO CONSERVATIVE councillors from the local authority caught up in a row over rough sleepers and the Royal wedding have quit the party group in protest.
Windsor and Maidenhead Council has been beset by criticism since leader Simon Dudley suggested beggars should be cleared from Windsor before Prince Harry ties the knot with Meghan Markle in May.
He survived a no-confidence vote held by the council’s Conservative group on Monday night, prompting the immediate resignations of two Tory colleagues. Paul Brimacombe and Asghar Majeed will continue as independents, with their party affiliation already updated on the council’s website.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Conservative-controlled council.
In a joint statement, the councillors said: “Immediately following the announcement of the result of the no-confidence vote, Councillor Majeed and Councillor Brimacombe resigned from the Conservative group and departed the meeting.
“It was not considered appropriate by them to wholeheartedly disagree with the will of the group on this fundamental issue and yet to remain within the group.
“With the departure of the last of the few dissenting voices within the Conservative group, possibly an even more cohesive and purposeful Conservative group will emerge.
“Councillors Majeed and Brimacombe will continue to represent the residents of Oldfield and Cox Green respectively as independent Conservative councillors.”
It is expected that the opposition group within the council will attempt to oust the council leader on January 29.