THE current Vale council leader, Cllr John Thomas has formally resigned his position, with effect from the council’s Annual General Meeting on Monday, May 20.

The Vale council head of democratic services has also received formal notification from a group of eight councillors that they have established a new political group, the Vale Independents Group.

Notification has also been received from the leaders of the Labour, Llantwit First and the Vale Independents groups of their intention to form a coalition administration following the election of a new council leader at the AGM.

Cllr Neil Moore would lead the potential administration, which includes 14 Labour members and four Llantwit First Independents. They are joined by eight councillors, including the Vale council’s current leader and cabinet, who have walked away from the Conservative group.

A new cabinet and cabinet portfolios will be presented, and new chairmanships for the council’s scrutiny and regulatory committees will be proposed and elected at the meeting.

The future allocation of committee seats will be published ahead of the AGM, once the political balance calculations that determine each group’s allocation have been completed.

Current council leader John Thomas and his cabinet resigned from the Conservative group together with two other Tory backbenchers after he lost leadership of the Vale Tories to Cllr Vincent Bailey – who will advance plans for a minority administration.

Cllr Bailey has said the Tory defectors have “betrayed” their voters and should face by-elections. The exodus from the Conservative group leaves the party with just 15 councillors.

Cllr Moore, who led the council from 2012 to 2017, said he was ready to do the job again: “We want to try to ensure the Vale is kept on a steady path and the residents are treated equally and we protect those who are vulnerable in our society as best we can."