ACTING mayor Cllr Toni Bloomfield has resigned from Minehead Town Council after being ousted from office in a shock coup by supporters of amenities and environment committee chairman, Cllr Craig Palmer.

After accepting the resignation of former mayor Andrew Kingston-James at their meeting on Tuesday, councillors voted by 5-3 to replace him with Cllr Palmer. He will now take over as mayor until the council’s AGM in May when a new mayor will be elected for another year.     

Cllr Bloomfield, deputy mayor, an Independent representing Alcombe South, took over when Mr Kingston-James took three months’ sick leave at the end of last year and became acting mayor when Mr Kingston-James suddenly resigned at the beginning of March.

It was expected that, following the usual practice, Cllr Bloomfield would be asked to continue as acting mayor until the May elections.

Later on Tuesday, Cllr Bloomfield resigned from the council with immediate effect, notifying councillors in an email.

She said: “I feel I cannot and will not work with Cllr Palmer. The council will not move anywhere while he has the mayor’s seat.”

 This week, former mayor Cllr Terry Venner hit out at the council’s decision, saying:  “It was a kick in the teeth and after all she has done for the council and the town she didn’t deserve that.

“In the past four or five years she has worked tirelessly for the town, organising meals on wheels and welfare services during the pandemic, co-ordinating help for vulnerable people and working for Connect, Gateway, and the old hospital.

“She organised Ukraine crisis collection points and numerous events and is always there when people needed help.

“She was an asset that the town and the council simply can’t afford to lose. No wonder we are short of councillors when we saw what happened on Tuesday.”

New mayor of Minehead Craig Palmer
New mayor of Minehead Craig Palmer (Tindle)

Cllr Palmer, a Somerset West & Taunton Planning Committee member, was attending all-day meetings on Thursday and was unavailable for comment.

In her resignation letter, Ms Bloomfield said: “I feel saddened to send this but I am resigning with immediate effect from Minehead Town Council. 

“I feel I cannot, and will not, work with Cllr Craig Palmer. The council will not move anywhere while he has the mayor’s seat.”

“I have made some great friends on Minehead town council who I will stay in touch with. Sadly some of those on the town council, currently still unelected, are just impossible for me to work with.

“I have been thinking about this for a while now and I feel tonight’s vote has shown the support, or lack of support I receive from fellow councillors. Those I wish to stay in touch with I shall contact in due course.

“To all the staff at MTC, in the office and the groundsmen’s team, it has been a pleasure to work with you over the last few years and thank you for all you do.”

 After her resignation, Ms Bloomfield told the Free Press that she would still be doing all she could to help  and support the Minehead community including organising Gateway summer events and  co-running café Connect at the old hospital.