Council in turmoil as leader and deputy resign

The leader of a troubled council has resigned after losing the backing of his cabinet in the wake of a row over serious failings in children's services.

Labour's Ged Cooney quit Tameside Council with "immediate effect" after four of his senior councillors stood down from their executive posts on Thursday.

In a letter, Cooney said it was "evident" that he no longer had the support to make the improvements in children's services which were required.

It comes as the national Labour Party announced it was sending in a team to oversee a culture change in Tameside Labour Group due to what it called "unacceptable working practices".

Deputy council leader Bill Fairfoull has also tendered his resignation, plunging the future leadership of the party and the council into turmoil.

In a joint statement local MPs Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds, Andrew Gwynne MP said they welcome the party's intervention "to bring stability and focus at this difficult time".

While thanking Cooney for his service, they said the "number one priority" was to make sure the council delivers for residents and "particularly for vulnerable children”.

A recent children's commissioner report came close to removing children's services from Tameside Council's control.

Children's services at the authority previously failed repeated Ofsted inspections, and a recent review heard staff and partners describe council culture as "intimidating and toxic".

The government-appointed commissioner Andy Couldrick found there was blame culture in the Labour-dominated council and a failure to take responsibility.

Conservative councillor Liam Billington told BBC Radio Manchester the Labour group in Tameside were in “such disarray and chaos”, adding he felt they were “no longer fit for purpose”.

But a Labour spokesman said a campaign improvement board was being sent to intervene and oversee immediate changes within the council's labour group.

Cooney, who has been a Tameside councillor for 34 years, said he accepted that "in order for children's services to go forward, it can only be done with the support of all Tameside members".

He said the "events of the last few weeks" made it clear he no longer had that support.

The departures come days after the council's chief executive Sandra Stewart quit the authority.

In a statement seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Stewart said she stepped down after agreeing with Cooney to become chief executive of Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

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