Milton Keynes run by officers amid bust-up

Milton Keynes Council could be subject to a High Court order to resolve an internal crisis which has left it being run by officers.

The Conservative and Labour groups refused at a meeting on Tuesday to endorse a new full cabinet with Liberal Democrat incumbent Isobel McCall as council leader.

The two parties have demanded that she resign following a vote of no confidence in March after it emerged that the council's school building programme had been subject to delays.

Opposition parties blocked Cllr McCall's appointment of an eight-strong cabinet team by forcing the creation of a cabinet of just three — her and the two opposition party leaders.

They have also refused the routine adoption of key powers normally vested in the controlling group and handed them to officers via the acting chief executive's department.

Cllr McCall blamed opposition parties for the crisis, adding: "It is bizarre that the day after the local elections many of the newly democratically elected councillors decided to pass their power to officers."

The Tories said the constraint would stay in place at least until the next meeting of the council on 10 June, when they would press for constitutional changes and the removal of Cllr McCall as leader.

Andrew Geary, Conservative group leader, described the passing of power to officers as a "stop-gap measure".

Norman Miles, Labour group leader, said the delegating of powers to officers was consistent with the vote of no confidence.