Labour council leader who compared St George's flag campaigners to paedophiles survives no confidence vote again

A Labour council leader who called St George's flag campaigners 'criminals' and 'nonces' has avoided a confidence vote in his authority.

Jeremy Newmark, leader of Hertsmere Council in Hertfordshire, was able to continue leading his Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition after a vote to put a confidence motion on the agenda ended in a tie.

Parveen Rani, the council's Labour mayor, voted against the proposal – which would have approved a second confidence vote against the leader in as many years – and it failed.

Mr Newmark's administration has faced a series of blows in recent months, including allegations made against him – which were not upheld by a council standards panel – that he had called Nigerians 'crooks'.

And another Labour councillor suggested the party 'start planning sites where we can't win seats' and 'take the political decision' not to go near a major development, it was also revealed.

Chris Myers told party colleagues they should steer clear of plans for 900 homes in Potters Bar because 'we stand a fairly good chance of retaining and doubling seats' there.

And audio leaked to the Daily Mail in June appeared to show another Labour councillor, Aaditya Kaza, admitting that members had been told how to vote on a different planning application.

The latest confidence vote came after the administration's majority evaporated following a by-election loss three months ago.

Jeremy Newmark, the Labour leader of Hertsmere Council who called St George's flag campaigners 'nonces', has avoided another confidence vote in his leadership

Tabled by the council's Reform UK members, the motion also called for a 'strategic alignment administration' to run the body for the rest of its term.

But a vote to change the agenda failed after 17 members voted in favour and the same number against, necessitating the Labour mayor's casting vote.

Two Conservative councillors, who both also serve on a district council in Cambridgeshire, were absent from the meeting in Hertsmere.

Paul Hodgson-Jones and Sarah Hodgson-Jones, both members of Huntingdonshire Council, did not attend the Hertsmere meeting.

Mr Hodgson-Jones chaired a meeting of that council's corporate governance committee on the same evening.

Brett Rosehill, a Reform councillor, called their absence 'deeply disappointing'.

'Whatever our political differences, Hertsmere councillors should put Hertsmere residents first.'

Referring to his Reform colleague, Mr Rosehill said: 'Caroline Clapper and I turned up, made our case and were prepared to vote.

'Residents can draw their own conclusions about those who chose not to be there.'

He said Mr Newmark's leadership had been 'mired in controversy' and 'something had to be done' after his administration lost its majority. 

Mr Newmark, who ran in the 2017 general election for the north London parliamentary seat of Finchley and Golders Green, faced calls to quit last year after his comments on the movement known as Operation Raise the Colours.

He accused the group of running 'an attempt by a bunch of extremists, criminals, nonces to hijack our national flag'.

The remarks came days after an estimated 150,000 supporters of ex-English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson took part in a 'Unite The Kingdom' rally in London.

Opposition councillors condemned him for allegedly 'forfeiting his integrity' and 'pushing people apart'.

And in March last year, Mr Newmark claimed a Tory finance spokesman had used an 'antisemitic trope' suggesting the Labour leader 'orchestrates everything in this chamber'.

Abhishek Sachdev made the remark during a speech on the council's budget for the past year.

The Labour leader said Mr Sachdev's comments were 'straight out of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion', referring to an antisemitic publication which falsely details a Jewish plot for global domination.

Morris Bright, the Tory leader on the council, branded Mr Newmark a 'disgrace'.

The Labour man later said he had not suggested Mr Sachdev had 'any harmful intent' with his words, nor did he accuse him of being an antisemite.

Following the outburst Mr Newmark survived a confidence motion in the same month by a single vote.