Coventry City Council leader faces leadership challenge
George Duggins is being challenged by Ed Ruane
Coventry council leader George Duggins is facing a leadership challenge from former cabinet member Ed Ruane.
Cllr Ruane, who won re-election to Henley last week, is seeking backing from fellow Labour colleagues at a vote tonight.
He is a former cabinet member for housing and communities at the authority, who has served as a Coventry councillor since 2007.
Announcing a bid to oust incumbent Cllr Duggins, he said the party needs to “modernise its approach” and “re-establish the trust that we’ve lost”.
He said:
“I have decided to make a leadership bid, as I passionately believe that the Labour party needs to modernise its approach in how we do politics and connect with our local communities.
“I want the party to re-engage with people inside and outside of the Labour Party to re-establish the trust that we’ve lost over the past few years.”
Cllr Duggins has been council leader since 2016 when he defeated then-leader Ann Lucas in a leadership challenge of his own.
Speaking before last week’s election results, he said:
“I’m looking forward to hopefully winning in Longford and then I would be delighted to retain the leadership because I do believe there’s always unfinished business and new business and issues that I want to take forward."
The Labour group has run the city council since 2010.
Last week’s local elections saw the group’s numbers at the Council House drop one, gaining Earlsdon but seeing Cheylesmore and Sherbourne flip to the Tories.
But Labour still holds a large majority, 39 seats to the Conservatives’ 15.