Labour Lord Mayor attacks own leader in speech
BBCCoventry's outgoing Lord Mayor used her retirement speech to attack the leader of Coventry City Council.
Labour's Rachel Lancaster contrasted Coventry City Football Club's on field success with the leadership of Coventry City Council to launch thinly veiled criticism of Labour leader George Duggins.
Lancaster, who lost the Holbrook seat she had held since 2007 at the local elections, said: "I must say, the contrast is educational. Because where CCFC have had a clear game plan from the very start of the season, the council has demonstrated a more improvisational style.
"Where the Sky Blues have shown decisive leadership, the council has shown a commendable commitment to prolonged reflection."
She also suggested the leadership of the council had felt "invisible" and criticised the way she had been treated during the decade Duggins has been in charge, stating that "misogyny relegated me to the long grass of my last ten years as a councillor."
Duggins declined to comment on Lancaster's speech, which was delivered during the council's Annual General Meeting on Thursday.
Ahead of this year's election, four of his nine cabinet members were women. His first ever cabinet, in 2016, saw female councillors occupy three of the nine roles – but Lancaster was removed from the cabinet.
Her speech is seen as a bubbling over of frustrations among some in Coventry Labour after Duggins was reinstated as leader of the group unopposed.
His long-time deputy, Abdul Khan, was forced to withdraw from a leadership contest after intervention from national party figures.
All political groups on the council have now appointed their leaders and the make-up has now become clearer.
Duggins' Labour remains the largest party with 24 seats and he will continue to lead the council.
Despite losing overall control, there is no formal coalition. But they will be given support by the Green Party Group of four councillors, led by Esther Reeves, after some of their councillors were awarded positions chairing scrutiny boards.
Reform is the largest opposition party with 20 seats and will be headed up by Jackie Gardiner.
John Blundell has returned as leader of the Conservative Group's six councillors after they lost their leader, Gary Ridley, at the local elections.
Blundell previously held the role between 2013 and 2017.
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