Ripon councillor Jo Bate has resigned in the latest development in the city’s political turmoil.

Ms Bate told the Stray Ferret the city council was in a “shocking state of affairs” and claimed she had been made a scapegoat for recent events.

She said she resigned yesterday afternoon (September 26) — shortly before she was elected to chair the newly formed human resources committee at an extraordinary meeting she did not attend. Only five of 12 councillors attended. 

Paula Benson, the chief officer / clerk left yesterday, meaning three of the four paid council staff posts are currently believed to be vacant and the fourth employee off sick. 

The departures add to a two-week saga that has seen mayor Jackie Crozier resign after fellow councillors submitted a vote of no confidence in her, and new mayor Barbara Brodigan face a public vote of no confidence at a parish poll. 

Leader Andrew Williams and deputy leader Peter Horton resigned before their roles were abolished and last night the staffing committee was dissolved and a new human resources committee set up in its place.

Ms Bate, who chaired the staffing committee, faced a vote of no confidence in the parish poll alongside Cllr Brodigan on the grounds that she had attended fewer than 50% of full council meetings since 2022, lived 15 miles away and was “not representing the people of Ripon effectively”.

'Three councillors are trying to make me their scapegoat'

She was also the subject of critical comments in a joint statement about recent staff departures issued by her fellow staffing committee members Cllrs Crozier, Horton and Williams yesterday morning, hours before the committee was abolished.

The statement accused Ms Bate, who chaired the committee, of making no attempt to call a meeting to recruit replacements when two staff members left. 

It said: “Two months after resignations had been received under the chairmanship of Cllr Bate no meeting has been held to fill those vacant posts. We believe she has much to answer.”

Ms Bate told the Stray Ferret she informed Cllrs Williams and Horton she planned to resign in February but was persuaded against it to save the cost of a by-election. She added they agreed to “cover my work”.

Ms Bate said her husband had died recently, adding:  

Regarding her appointment to chair the new human resources committee, she said: “I resigned yesterday afternoon, so why they left me as chair I don’t know,” adding: “This is an absolutely shocking state of affairs.”

The human resources committee now needs to appoint a new chair — less than 24 hours after the first one was appointed.