Tories take control of council after tied vote

A new Conservative leader of Melton Borough Council has been elected after a tied leadership vote.

Councillors met on Tuesday night to choose a new leader following the resignation of former Labour leader Pip Allnatt earlier this month.

Conservative councillor Ronan Browne and Labour hopeful Mike Brown tied with 14 votes each, with the Tory elected on the casting vote of mayor Siggy Atherton, who is part of the Conservative group.

The change of leadership ends the three-year rule of a coalition of Labour and independent councillors who had run the authority as a minority administration.

Browne said he intended to appoint his own cabinet in the coming days and would reach out to other political groups.

The Conservatives are the largest single party on the authority with 11 members.

There is a political group of eight independent councillors, and five Labour councillors.

There are also three non-aligned independents and a Liberal Democrat councillor so no party has overall political control.

Browne is therefore set to lead a minority administration himself and told the BBC he believed his party could rely on the support of three independent councillors in votes in the future.

"We need to ensure the council is run with robustness, inclusivity and works for our residents first," Browne told councillors on Tuesday.

"We will look after the finances and do what we do well and ensure the most vulnerable in our community are supported."

Browne said his new administration would review the deliverability of a council-led scheme to regenerate Melton's Stockyard.

He also said the council would look to secure more GP capacity in the south of the town with Melton currently served by just one surgery.

Labour's Brown said he was disappointed to lose the leadership vote.

He said the outgoing coalition had broken new ground and delivered for the people of the borough.

Allnatt stepped down as leader on 2 April citing ill health.

After his resignation it emerged he had been arrested in March on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman.

On Wednesday he told the BBC he did not want to comment on the allegation but said again that he had stepped down due to health problems.

Allnatt, who attended Tuesday's meeting, has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party but still remains as a non-aligned independent councillor representing the town's Egerton ward.

Listen to BBC Radio Leicester on Sounds and follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.