The leader survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership

Rivals attacked Warwick District Council leader Ian Davison for being “mealy-mouthed” ahead of a collapsed power share – yet many failed to vote either way on the bid to oust him.

Cllr Davison (Green, Leamington Brunswick) survived Wednesday’s vote of no confidence in his leadership despite only gaining support from all 14 members of his own group plus two independents.

That was because only eight councillors – five Conservatives and three from Whitnash Residents’ Association – got behind a change at the top with all nine Liberal Democrats, the four present from former coalition partners Labour and three Warwick Independents abstaining.

Their choice not to support either option meant that almost half – 40 per cent – of the councillors present failed to come to a decisive position at the end of an hour-plus debate.

It means Cllr Davison continues despite only receiving the backing of 40 per cent of councillors present and 36 per cent of the overall chamber.

Former district leader Councillor Andrew Day (Con, Bishop’s Tachbrook) had brought the motion in the first place but his plea for all colleagues to park party politics and act decisively one way or the other fell on deaf ears.

“Let’s not add another fudge to those we have had from our leader,” he urged.

“It is not good enough, councillors, to sit on your hands and abstain on this vote.

"Our residents are watching and if you do that, you are simply being complicit and allowing national politics to run this council when our residents expect us to stand up for their interests.”

That reference was based on the circumstances of the dissolution of the Green-Labour pact that had run the council since May 2023 over positions related to the Middle East.

Leader failed to do ‘all he could’

Labour’s national executive demanded their members walk away after Cllr Davison failed to disavow the national Green policy that states ‘Zionism is racism’, a split that was prevented in seven other council areas where the parties continue to work together.

After weeks of confusion over statements and where they emanated from, Labour finally found a voice in the chamber with ex-deputy leader Councillor Chris King (Leamington Clarendon) critical of Cllr Davison’s response to the row.

“I would like to hear how much effort, thought or care went into Councillor Davison’s comments, or rethinking his statement to refute the position on Zionism so he wouldn’t have to allow this (split) to happen,” said Cllr King.

“He knew what would have to happen and it did happen. I do not believe he did all he could to stop that. We now have a weaker administration that does not serve the Green Party, the Labour Party and most of all our residents.

“This is not what they want. They will have no sympathy with any of this and I cannot blame them. We all wish we weren’t having to do this.

“If there is doubt remaining in any of our minds that more could have been done then I think he has made a mistake. The administration and our residents will probably suffer from that.”

Nevertheless, he and his Labour colleagues still abstained, while three – group leader Councillor Jess Melrose (Leamington Clarendon), Councillor Matt Collins (Bishop’s Tachbrook) and Councillor Gabriel Rosu (Warwick Aylesford) – did not turn out.

Unapologetic apologies

In an unusual step during apologies for absence, Councillor Jim Sinnott (Lab, Warwick Saltisford) read out a message from Cllr Melrose, explaining she was “on a train trying to get here”.

She had come under fire for a statement that she said had come from Labour’s West Midlands regional office, welcoming Cllr Davison’s pre-split stance on the Zionism motion. The regional office then denied being responsible for it with Cllr Melrose declining to field questions on where it came from ever since.

Cllr Sinnott read out from his screen: “She works a full-time career alongside council duties.

“The moment this meeting was arranged last week, she was completely up front and informed all group leaders about a mandatory work commitment out of the district today.

“Opponents can’t have it both ways. They cannot claim on one hand that Jess is not open or communicative but then turn around, rush to comment on articles and use the exact information she openly shared with them to score cheap political points.

“She has hidden nothing. Councillor Melrose is trying to get here as soon as she can…”

Chair Councillor Pam Redford (Con, Cubbington & Leek Wootton) intervened at that point.

“We just wanted to know whether she was coming or not,” she said.

Cllr Sinnott replied: “Yeah, she might be here at 7.30.”

“That’s what I’ve got here,” replied Cllr Redford.

The meeting ended close to 7.30. Cllr Melrose was not seen in the chamber.

The debate

There was broad agreement between Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Whitnash and Warwick independents that Cllr Davison’s response to the Zionism motion and his views on it were not clear enough, and they shared concerns over his nine-strong cabinet being reduced to seven councillors, distributing extra duties to existing portfolios or cabinet members.

However, those abstaining did highlight the lack of a fleshed-out alternative with no party commanding an outright majority and no formal deals laid out.

Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Alan Boad (Leamington Lillington) argued the Zionism debate should be “outside of this chamber as far as I am concerned”.

“You could argue the leadership was a bit mealy mouthed and didn’t get anywhere but that’s where we are,” he said, before warning the Greens would have to be more collaborative to get big decisions on the budget and South Warwickshire Local Plan through.

“It is not going to be like it was, it can’t be,” he said.

“There will have to be changes there if this is going to work for the residents of the district.”

His colleague Councillor Phil Kohler (Lib Dem, Leamington Lillington) said the debate had presented Cllr Davison as a “stubborn micro-manager” but still felt the best option was to “get through the next few months as best we can and let the electorate have their say”.

Second chance

Councillor Peter Phillips (Con, Budbrooke) then asked Cllr King if Labour would rejoin the coalition if Cllr Davison made “a clear and unequivocal statement rejecting the (Zionism) motion”.

Cllr King confirmed: “If that statement would satisfy our national executive, I know that our group would support that.”

However, Cllr Davison didn’t pick up the baton.

His closing remarks reiterated his dismay at the circumstances and acknowledged it would be better to have an administration with more council seats behind it but noted: "We haven’t heard an alternative."

He stressed that it was “misleading” to claim that “anti-Zionism is automatically antisemitic”, adding that the Greens “agree with the council’s adopted definition of antisemitism – that "it is not inherently antisemitic to criticise the government of Israel”.

Cllr Davison laid out a no-win situation where some would encourage him to “just say whatever national Labour want to say” while also telling him “not to be in hock to a national party”.

‘Fudge’

Cllr Day remained unimpressed.

“Councillor Davison was given the opportunity to be clear about what could come if he made an empathic and clear statement. Once again he reverted to a fudge,” he said.

Highlighting the criticism he took from his own party when leading the council, including his public criticism of then-prime minister Boris Johnson over the Partygate scandal, he added: “Believe me, as we say in Australia, I got the rough end of the pineapple from my party.

“It wasn’t pleasant but I was leader of the council and I put that before my party.

“That has not happened here. Councillor Davison has chosen not once but twice to be unclear in addressing the question of the Green Party motion.

“It is not about Zionism, it is about the leadership of the council.”

He said that Whitnash independent Councillor Judy Falp would be his nomination for leader, expressing faith that she could call on “seasoned, experienced and capable councillors”, including “a wide breadth of previous portfolio holders”, but Cllr Davison’s survival meant alternatives went out of the window.