I can confirm that over the past few months a Leadership challenge has been building at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC).

ERYC Current Leader – Councillor Richard Burton

When Councillor Richard Burton was elected ERYC Leader to replace Councillor Stephen Parnaby in May 2019 he was most certainly not everyone’s choice but what was required was someone who was gullible enough (no disrespect to Richard) not to open doors to certain closets.

There was also a need for someone dispensable to be the Leader when the Ofsted report became public. Could it also be possible that the recent ERYC Catastrophic Planning Failure was not a mistake and had to happen before a new Leader was elected?

• Ofsted Inspection Finds East Riding Inadequate
• ERYC Catastrophic Planning Failure

There have been rumblings over recent months within the Tory Group that Richard has been too weak in Full Council.

There is also concern that this weakness may result in the expected East Yorkshire Mayoral election returning a Hull Councillor for Mayor if Richard is allowed to remain.

New Leader Coup Gang

I am informed that the new Leader will not be from the current Cabinet and that the challenge is coming from the “backbenchers“. It appears that the engine for the coup is East Wolds and Coastal Ward. The Ward is represented by:

• Councillor Jonathan Owen – former Deputy Leader
• Councillor Jane Evison – former Cabinet member
• Councillor Paul Lisseter

There is a gang of three attempting to drive that coup and these are:

• Councillor Jonathan Owen
• Councillor Jane Evison
• Councillor Felicity Temple – Conservative Group Secretary

Dirty Games

It must be acknowledged that the ERYC Catastrophic Planning Failure revealed one Councillor with cleaner hands than the others as he raised the issue in recent weeks. I take my hat off to Conservative Councillor Paul Lisseter for his integrity.

Paul was “punished” with suspension for his honesty with the standard “shoot the messenger” from the Tory Group assassin Councillor Felicity Temple, instead of accepting her own failure and that of the other 65 Ward Councillors.

• Yorkshire Post – ERYC Councillor Suspended

Knowing Paul I expect him to address the shameful conduct against him and I wish him well in his endeavours,

Could it be that Felicity has instigated this shameful action against Paul as he represents the same Ward as the Evison/Owen dream team she desires? Is he considered a threat to their ultimate goal?

As Jane and Jonathan have been interconnected for many years the attempted coup will not come as a surprise to those in the know.

I offer my best wishes to Richard. I have a feeling he will need it.