Further calls made for leader of West Northants Council to resign as opposition tables vote of no confidence

Further calls have been made for the leader of West Northamptonshire Council to resign over allegations made in a national publication.

An ‘extraordinary meeting’ has been requested by the opposition calling for the resignation of council leader Jonathan Nunn.

Independent councillor Ian McCord has tabled a motion of ‘no confidence’ in councillor Nunn, which needs the backing of five other members for it to be discussed.

This comes following the allegations last week, which saw both Labour and the Liberal Democrats issue statements calling for Councillor Jonathan Nunn to resign, stating that his position was untenable.

Councillor McCord said: "This council has no confidence in the leader, councillor Jonathan Nunn.

"All members can express their view with this motion, support or oppose, pass the motion or defeat the motion, the matter needs to be resolved.”

West Northants Labour Group has showed its support for councillor McCord’s motion.

A Labour spokesman said: “All members of the Labour Group’s executive have today supported Ian McCord’s no confidence meeting. We waited for Northampton Conservatives to do the right thing and remove him themselves, but now it seems the opposition parties have to instead.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Jonathan Harris also confirmed his party’s support for the motion.

Councillor Harris said: “It will be supported. The Conservative Group are failing to act when in reality they hold all the cards.”

Conservative councillor Cheryl Hawes (Kingsthorpe South) stepped down from her position on Friday (April 12), saying she can ‘no longer back Nunn as leader of WNC.

Councillor Nunn spoke out on Thursday (April 11) responding to the allegations.

He said: “I have always been open and honest about the fact that 20 years ago I received a conviction for assault and a community order – I have spoken publicly about this before and this has also been a matter of public record for many years, since before I was elected as a borough and now a unitary councillor by members of the public and became council leader.

“Domestic abuse is never acceptable and I regret my past mistakes. This past behaviour is not something I am proud of, and in the many years that have since passed I have worked hard to make up for the past by trying to contribute something positive.

"Central to this has been working hard as a councillor to put as much as I can back into my local community, helping me to see new and fresh perspectives that have helped me to grow as a person."

Cllr Nunn previously said at a full council meeting on March 21, that there had been a "sustained campaign against him" and denied the allegations being made.