TORIES on the Forest Council narrowly failed in their bid to remove the leader and his coalition Cabinet from power.

The vote was, notionally, based on the failure of Cllr Tim Gwilliam (Forest First, Berry Hill) to attend a meeting of council leaders from around Gloucestershire.

The Conservative leader, Cllr Brian Robinson, (Mitcheldean) said: “The reason we have brought this motion is that we believe the leader is not able to support Gloucestershire in the way we would like and the reason for that is that he doesn’t have the support of the council.

“I would expect if the leader was unable to attend a meeting, his deputy would attend on his behalf and I would also expect officers to be attending.

“On this occasion none attended and I think that is letting down the Forest of Dean.”

But the vote saw the motion defeated by 22 votes to 20 with two independents, Simon Phelps and Dave East, abstaining.

Had they voted with the Conservatives it would have gone to the casting vote of the chairman – Tory Cllr Jane Horne (Tibberton).

When the result was announced there was cheering from a section of the packed public gallery.

But the leader slammed the Conservatives for a power grab and accused them of trying to take advantage of his serious illness over the summer.

Cllr Gwilliam became leader on July 13, five days after leaving hospital following the first of two heart operations.

He said his health prevented him from attending the Leadership Gloucestershire meeting on July 28 but apologies were given in the usual way.

He said: “This motion is not about missing the meeting – it is about a power grab, a believed entitlement to power and everyone in this room knows it.

“I was told by a member of the Conservative group it was nothing personal, it was just politics.

“It’s not the politics I aspire to – it’s spiteful, it’s nasty, it is misleading and it’s desperate.

“It’s a reflection on those who put it and, for the record, I take it extremely personally.

“To use someone’s illness as a way of scoring political points is not the sort of politics I or, I believe, this council, wants any part of.