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Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 3UY. Please enter the building through the Contact Centre entrance via the seafront.
Contact: Democratic Services on 01424 451484 email: democraticservices@hastings.gov.uk
Items No. Item Apologies for Absence
Minutes:
Apologies for absence received from Councillors Arthur, Rankin, Roberts, Rogers, and Willis
Declarations of Interest
Minutes:
None received.
Motion of No Confidence in the Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet
In accordance with Rule 3.1 of Part 4 of the HBC Constitution, the Mayor has been requested to call this Extraordinary Meeting of the Council to consider the following Motion.
Motion:
This meeting will call for 3 consecutive votes of no confidence in:
- The Leader of Hastings Borough Council (HBC), Cllr. Paul Barnet.
- The Deputy Leader of HBC, Cllr. Maya Evans
- The remaining Cabinet members: Councillor Andy Batsford, Councillor John Cannan, Councillor Ali Roark and Councillor Simon Willis.
The Labour Group call this Vote of No Confidence as we (5 undersigned) no longer have trust or confidence in the Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet, therefore, we seek an alternative leader and administration.
At a vital time in our Council’s financial stability, strong leadership and an administration focussed on key decisions in the interests of our residents is needed. The current Leader, Deputy Leader and named Cabinet members have by their recent actions destabilised the functioning and administration of the Council. We believe their recent actions have created uncertainty at this critical time and do not provide this Council and the residents of Hastings with the confidence that is required to make key budgetary, strategic and financial decisions securing our Council’s finances and protecting statutory services for our residents.
We therefore call on our fellow Councillors to support this motion and work together with us to vote for an alternative leader and administration.
Subject to this vote of no confidence being passed at the Extraordinary General Meeting on 17 January, we call on our fellow Councillors to then proceed to vote for a new Leader of the Council to lead a new collaborative administration to protect the Council and work in the best interests of our residents of Hastings.Signed.
Cllr Heather Bishop
Cllr James Bacon
Cllr Judy Rogers
Cllr Margi O’Callaghan
Cllr Trevor Webb
Minutes:
The Chief Legal Officer informed the meeting that the Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council, and the remaining Cabinet members had submitted written resignations prior to the meeting.
Councillor Bishop withdrew the motion of no confidence and the meeting proceeded to the next item of business.
Election of Leader of the Council (subject to the motion at item 3 being passed)
Minutes:
The Mayor called for nominations for Leader of the Council.
Councillor Collins proposed that Councillor Hilton be elected Leader of the Council, seconded by Councillor Sinden.
There were no further nominations.
RESOLVED (by 11 votes for, to 2 against, with 14 abstentions) that Councillor Hilton be elected Leader of the Council until the Annual Council meeting in May 2024.
(The Mayor declared the meeting closed at 6.07pm)
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