CONSERVATIVE Marc Bayliss will remain as leader of the city council.

Cllr Bayliss, who has served as leader of Worcester City Council for the last 12 months, was re-appointed to the role during a meeting at the Guildhall on Tuesday (May 17).

Green group leader Cllr Louis Stephen put forward a motion to see the council's constitution changed so the two biggest parties, the Conservatives and Labour, share power on the city council with two joint leaders.

But with Labour refusing to nominate a co-leader, Cllr Bayliss is currently the sole leader of the council.

When the power sharing plan was put to a vote, it was pushed through by the Conservatives and the Greens.

The Conservatives then nominated Cllr Bayliss to be its co-leader with the Greens abstaining and Labour and the Lib Dems voting against the appointment.

Labour had called on the Greens to form a ‘progressive alliance’ on the council but the offer was rejected.

It was the first time the council had met in full since the local elections on May 5 in which the Tories lost three seats, the Greens gained two and Labour won one leaving the council in no overall control.

At the same meeting, Cllr Adrian Gregson was elected the new mayor of Worcester with Cllr Louis Stephen set to serve as deputy mayor for the coming year.