All-change as mayor quits Labour

Mr Winter has said relationships at the council are at an all-time low

The Mayor of Doncaster has confirmed that he has left the town's Labour group and announced radical changes to the council's cabinet.

During the authority's annual meeting, Martin Winter said he and councillor Stuart Exelby had formed a new group called Independent Labour.

He has created an initial cabinet of just three members - himself, Mr Exelby and councillor Eva Hughes.

Previous Labour cabinet members have not been given a place.

They are councillors Chris Mills, Glyn Jones and Bill Mordue.

Places available

Mr Winter, who is still a member of the Labour Party, said he would invite discussions from other party group leaders for other places on the cabinet.

A council spokeswoman said: "He said in the meeting that he was willing to talk to any member who would wish to serve on a cross-party cabinet."

She said the cabinet only had to have two members to meet legal requirements, but could have up to nine.

Chair of Doncaster Labour group, councillor Mick Jameson, told the BBC he would wait until membership of the cabinet had been finalised before passing judgement on Mr Winter's move.

He said: "He [Mr Winter] said he was open to suggestions from other political parties so we wait with interest to see the outcome of his final cabinet."

The move follows the publication of a report earlier this week, which said the running of the council was badly affected by a feud between the mayor and the authority's former managing director.

Council 'tensions'

Former MD Susan Law quit the council in February 2007 after a long dispute with Mr Winter.

An Audit Commission report said the council's handling of the row exposed "weak standards of governance".

Tensions between the mayor and local Labour party "continue to hamper the effectiveness of the council", it added.

Doncaster Council is one of 12 nationally to be run by an elected mayor.

Labour has the largest share on the council with 27 seats, while independents have 15, the Lib Dems have 12 and the Conservatives nine.

Mr Winter became the first elected Mayor of Doncaster in 2002 and was re-elected in 2005.

The mayor represents Doncaster Council and the borough on a local, national and international platform and is personally accountable for all strategy and policy decisions made.