Green leader survives no confidence vote

A Kent council leader who called for a pardon for witches has survived a no confidence vote.

Conservatives on Maidstone Borough Council tabled a motion citing several "concerns" about councillor Stuart Jeffery, who heads up the Green Party administration at the authority.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the motion was defeated on Wednesday by 28 votes to 14.

Jeffery said: "People might not like my style, but I'm not only delivering the programme I promised, but I'm able to reach out and engage with the community in the way I do."

Presenting the motion, Conservative councillor Claudine Russell said the party had a "duty to act" when a "leadership repeatedly drifts from its core mission" and priorities become "misaligned".

Alongside Jeffrey's recent proposal to pardon people historically convicted as witches, the Conservative group also raised concerns about a proposed £7m outlay to decarbonise the council's Maidstone House headquarters.

Jeffery previously stated his intention to rebut all the claims made against him, saying the motion had "no substance".

Russell defended the tabling of the motion as the "perfect use of council time" and says she hopes it will improve the leadership.

"Residents were questioning us, so it's only right that we question him [Jeffery]...with robust opposition comes better leadership," she said.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.