WIRRAL’S Tory leader has launched an audacious bid to oust the current Labour leader of the council – but will need the help of the council’s smallest party.

The move follows the publication of part of a report by an outside consultant which was highly critical of the way the authority has been run and managed.

But he was immediately attacked by the council’s leader Steve Foulkes who said he had been trying to arrange meetings with the other party leaders to develop an all-party strategy to tackle issues raised by the report.

Cllr Foulkes added: “No wonder he couldn’t look me in the eye the last couple of days while he was plotting this coup.”

Conservative group leader Jeff Green said: “People, both inside and outside the council, are deeply concerned at the repeated stream of revelations and scandals.”

However, the Conservatives, with 27 seats out of 66 on the authority will need the help of the Liberal Democrats to out-vote Labour’s 29 councillors when the resolution comes before the next meeting of the full council later this month.

The Tories and Lib-Dems had shared power until May when the Liberal Democrats in Wirral saw many of their number lose their seats, including former leader Simon Holbrook.

After that, with Labour in the ascendant, the Lib-Dems abstained in a vote on council leadership allowing Labour to take control, under Steve Foulkes.