Dudley Council chief denounces motion to oust him as attempt to 'get rid of successful leader'

At the meeting, Labour councillor Hilary Bills claimed that she was watching "women being marginalised and attacked".

She also said that seven female Conservative councillors in Dudley had left since 2012 and accused the party of being "unable to manage women".

However, Councillor Harley has denounced the motion as "gutter politics" and an attempt from Dudley's Labour leader to "get rid of a successful leader".

He told the Express & Star: "Obviously it went well. We defeated Labour's motion and 97 per cent of my party backed me.

"I'm humbled by that and I'm not often humbled. I was lost for words. It would have been easy for the party to succumb to the Labour motion but they didn't.

"It was a pointless motion based on inaccuracies with allegations which are clearly defamatory. Some speeches - Hilary Bills's in particular - really pushed to the limits what they can say legally."

The motion to oust the council leader was put forward by the leader of Dudley's Labour group, Councillor Qadar Zada, who emphasised that his motion was not a bid "to snatch Labour victory".

It comes after a row involving Councillor Harley and fellow Tory, Natalie Neale, who in a leaked email said she felt uncomfortable in his presence and threatened to resign from the council's cabinet unless he stepped down.

She has since quit her role as head of adult social care, while Councillor Harley has revealed the pair were previously in a four-year relationship.

Mayor Goddard warned the council that Tory leader is now taking private legal action against Councillor Neale and asked members to bear this in mind when contributing to the discussion of the motion.

Councillor Harley said: "It's gutter politics. People are taking advantage of personal issues which are still being decided by lawyers, which is pretty low to be honest.

"If I had had the opportunity to do that to Zada, I wouldn't have done that.

"Several prominent women in my party have had front bench roles and one has gone on to become an MP for West Bromwich. We give opportunities within my group, my party.

"However, we don't just do it for the sake of gender or sexuality. We do it based on merit."

He went on to say: "The debate was ridiculous. It was a smokescreen to hide Zada's inadequacy as a Labour leader.

"Labour's leading by 20 points nationally, but Dudley is bucking the trend, with 44 Conservative councillors compared to 27 Labour.

"It's why Zada wants to see the back of me - I win elections, he doesn't.

"When I'm able to galvanise the team, the brilliant team of Conservatives, and get them out in all weathers campaigning. That's what it was about. Him trying to get rid of a successful leader."

"I think we will continue to buck the trend under my leadership, just as we have every year under my leadership."