Councillor Marc Bayliss has been voted in as the new leader of Worcester City Council

Councillor Marc Bayliss was voted as leader at a meeting last night, replacing Councillor Adrian Gregson.

Cllr Gregson was deselected as leader at the Guildhall and then voted in as deputy leader after Conservative councillors voted to change the constitution to ensure that the leader of the largest party group would always be leader, with the leader of the next largest becoming deputy, in the case of a hung council.

It meant Cllr Bayliss, leader of the Conservatives with 17 members, and Cllr Gregson, leader of Labour with 15, swapped roles.

The change came after the resignation of Labour councillor Elaine Williams, which effectively gave Mayor Steve Mackay a casting vote.

However, Cllr Bayliss said the anger and bitterness surrounding his election as leader should not destroy the working relationship with former leader Cllr Gregson.

While they both said they would work together, the meeting was heated, with Labour members particularly angry.

Warndon councillor Jo Hodges called the actions of the Conservatives ‘despicable.’ Cllr Gregson said: “Naked ambition stalks this chamber, and he is not pretty.”

Referring to Mayor Steve Mackay’s casting vote which broke a 17 vote deadlock to approve the motion and elect Cllr Bayliss he said: “Are we to get another murky mayor - marking his last meeting after a very successful mayoral year with a dirty casting vote?”

Deputy leader of the Conservatives, Councillor Chris Mitchell, who put the motion forward said: “This is political. We have done this because we can, this is politics.”

An amendment put forward by Green councillor Louis Stephens to have co-leaders from both parties was defeated.

Cllr Bayliss said: “I would have been happy to support that if the Labour members had supported it. We proposed joint leaders a year ago, but Labour weren’t interested.

“Cllr Gregson shed no tears when he became leader two years ago with the backing of a minority party. I will shed no tears if I become leader with the backing of the largest party here.”

Afterwards he said he and Cllr Gregson would continue to work together and that the duties of leader and deputy leader were very similar.

Asked if the rancour was worth it just five weeks before city council elections he said: “This establishes the principal that the leader of the largest party group in the council is leader of the council. It reflects the democratic will of the voters.”

Including a by-election for Cllr Williams’ seat in Warndon, 13 council seats will be contested on Thursday May 3.