Sandwell Council leader set to be forced out of role
The leader of Sandwell Council is set to be forced out of his job – in a move he has described as being "knifed in the back".
Councillor Eling, who is the subject of an investigation by the Labour party following a complaint, is likely replaced at the next full council meeting of the authority, it has been revealed.
At a private meeting on Monday the new leader of Sandwell’s local Labour group was named as Councillor Steve Trow.
The Old Warley councillor won the vote in a straight run-off with Langley member Yvonne Davies.
He beat his opponent by 37-27 votes in the election brought about the suspension of Cllr Eling’s party membership.
Councillor Eling has said the move to replace him as leader of the authority was a knife "in the back" and was forced by the party at a national level.
He said: “There is nothing to I can do to contest this. It has been forced on us by headquarters. I am raising issues about this but it doesn’t alter what is happening locally.
“I will be discussing with Steve Trow and other colleagues about how we move forward from here, given the dictate from party centrally.
“From the point of view of moving forward, I don’t want to derail things for the benefit of the people of Sandwell.”
A motion to elect a new council leader will be put at the council’s full council meeting on March 5.
