Labour council leader steps down

THE Labour leader of Sandwell Council has stepped down from his role rather than face a vote of no confidence in March.

Councillor Steve Eling ’s decision comes after his party’s councillors chose Steve Trow to head their group following after the leader’s suspension from the party last month.

As reported in last week’s he had previously refused to relinquish the role as the authority’s most senior politician despite calls for him to go by a local Conservative MP James Morris. But following the news that the council’s Labour party group would seek to replace as him as council leader at meeting in March, he officially resigned on Wednesday afternoon.

His deputy, councillor Syeda Khatun, will now take over his role until the full council meeting in March elects the authority’s new political leader.

In a brief email announcing his decision to all Labour councillors, Cllr Eling said: “In view of the current situation, I have decided to step down from the position of Leader of the Council.

“Councillor Steve Trow is set to be elected as leader at the next meeting of the council. In the interim, Councillor Syeda Khatun will take on the leader’s duties as Deputy Leader.”

Councillor Eling ’s party membership was suspended by Labour’s national executive committee after it launched an internal investigation following a complaint against him.