THE Tories tonight (Wednesday) secured the Isle of Wight Council leadership, following a spectacularly ill tempered meeting that saw one councillor leave after he was warned the police would be called.
Conservative group leader Cllr Dave Stewart was elected leader over Island Independent Cllr Ian Stephens, securing 19 votes from his fellow Tories, UKIP and the Individual Members' Group.
Cllr Stephens, the only other candidate, received 15 votes.
The only member to abstain was Cllr Steve Stubbings, who quit this week with leader Cllr Jonathan Bacon saying they would not be 'stooges' for the Conservative government's 'war on the poor.'
Insults flew across the chamber, not least from Labour Cllr Geoff Lumley who branded Cllr Charles Chapman 'the worst chairman ever' and UKIP members 'neo-fascists.'
He was asked to leave by Cllr Chapman and warned the police would be called when he refused to do so.
Following pleas from members and officers, he left 'under extreme protest.'
Cllr Stewart, who said he would lead a cross party caretaker administration until the May election, when the Conservatives would fight for full control of County Hall, criticised Cllrs Bacon and Stubbings for leaving the council 'rudderless' at such a crucial time — one month before the budget was due to be set.
He said: "They say their resignations are in protest about austerity, but it's actually about constant bickering within the executve and a complete failure to grasp how to run a council."
For more on this story, and an interview with Cllr Stewart on the difficult decisions he said he would make as leader, see Friday's County Press.