Lib Dems quit town council 'over selection of deputy mayor'

Councillors Kathy Godwin and Liz Wood quit the party after not backing the Lib Dems’ choice of deputy mayor, Natalie King.

Councillor Robin Brooks also quit the party with his colleagues. 

It means the Conservatives have regained control of the town council which they lost in 2023.

Newly elected mayor Kathy Godwin, deputy Liz Wood and Cllr Robin Brooks (third from right) in 2023 (Image: Oxfordshire Lib Dems)

Before then it had been under Conservative control since it was first formed in 1985.

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Events began at the full council meeting on May 21 when Kathy Godwin, who was the only nomination, was elected mayor. 

Nominations were then proposed for the deputy mayor's position with two candidates proposed Cllr Liz Wood and Cllr Natalie King, who were both Liberal Democrats.

Ms King won at which point the freshly elected mayor announced she was now resigning.

This was followed by Liberal Democrat councillors Godwin, Wood and Brooks all announcing they were resigning from the party and will now sit as independents. 

The meeting was then adjourned and a motion was passed to reconvene the meeting on May 28.

At this meeting Conservative town councillor Michele Mead was unanimously elected chair and mayor of the council for the 2024/25 year.

Ms Mead, Conservative leader on West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “I am delighted the Conservatives are now back in control of the town council, ending the Lib Dem chaos we’ve seen at recent meetings.

"I am hoping we can now all focus on working together to improve our amazing town as this is what our residents expect of us.

"The town council has become far too toxic with a focus more on personal egos rather than on simply making things better.”

Ms Godwin insisted her resignation had nothing to do with the mayor choosing but was on principle.

She said: "I resigned from the position of Carterton town mayor on a point of principle upon the deputy mayor's election, which has nothing to do with 'personal ego'.

"Nobody walked out of the meeting after my announcement. The clerk checked due process and the meeting was duly closed and reconvened the following week."

Mayor and chair of Carterton Town Council Michele Mead (Image: Contributed)

She added: "Cllr Wood and I continue to be members of the Liberal Democrat party, but now sit as town councillors independent of any local Liberal Democrat group.

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"The previous Tory council elected to have political proportionality in the council, putting the Liberal Democrats in the majority position in 2023.

"The move to acting independently of a political group has affected the division of so-called power in the council and it is now more balanced. 

"I am hopeful that this will reduce the political point scoring which has no place at town and parish level and that we can get on with putting Carterton first.

"I wish the mayor and deputy mayor all the best and I hope they have a successful partnership and that they too have a productive year promoting the town."

Mr Brooks was contacted.