Who is in charge at Gloucester City Council?

It has been four weeks since Gloucester City Council voted to depose its leader and the cabinet resigned en masse.

Since then, the council has been leaderless and no candidate has yet emerged who everyone can get behind.

The BBC contacted the city council this week asking several questions, such as how long it can go on without a leader and what happens if one cannot be found.

The council declined to answer the BBC's specific questions, but said it continues to "operate as normal" with officers "focused on council priorities".

Officers at Gloucester City Council are now in charge of the day-to-day running of the authority.

These are essentially civil servants, different to politicians who set the direction and make political decisions.

The person in charge is managing director John McGinty, who has been with the council since 2015.

His job, along with the jobs of other officers, is to inform councillors of the decisions that need to be made and explain the impact of them to the best of their ability.

McGinty is also in charge of the daily operations of the council and has delegated authority to take urgent executive decisions, according to Gloucester City Council.

Dr Andy Mycock, a chief policy fellow at the University of Leeds, believes questions will be asked around where council tax money is being spent.

"Local government officers aren't elected, and the longer this goes on, the more it is they may well come under some challenge," he said.

Gloucester city council is made up of 17 Liberal Democrats, 10 Conservatives, seven Labour, four Community Independents and one Independent Conservative.

No party has a majority on the council meaning the different parties have to work together.

According to the Local Government Association (LGA) 42% of councils across England don't have a single party with an overall majority.

Part of that is due to the success of other parties like Reform UK and the Greens, along with more independents getting elected.

Dr Mycock also thinks parties are becoming more hostile to the thought of working together.

"What we're finding is in a large number of local authorities, the tone of political debate is shifted and changes, and there is more of a confrontational tone.

"That is having a real effect in these no-overall-controlled local authorities because the potential for collaboration and conciliation is becoming somewhat challenged by the fact that these new parties want to do politics differently," he added.

Gloucester City Council is also under financial strain which has heightened tensions - Hilton described there being a "toxic atmosphere" the night he was ousted.

The next council meeting is on 28 October, but there is still currently no agreement on a way forward.

A spokesperson for the Gloucester Liberal Democrats said the "focus is on finding a way forward" that "provides stability".

"There is still work to be done, and we will continue to approach discussions in a positive and responsible way," they added.

Conservative Group leader Stephanie Chambers said she was hoping to get a leader in place by the next council meeting.

"We've spoken to members of the Lib Dems, we've spoken to Labour to look at different options," Chambers said.

"Nothing has been put to us, but we have put suggestions across, so we're just waiting to hear whether there will be a consensus."

Terry Pullen, leader of the Labour Group, said there had been "no change in the governance situation" since last month.

"In the meantime the Labour Group's primary concern remains ensuring that the council continues to provide essential services for the residents of Gloucester," he said.

Head of the Community Independents Alastair Chambers said he was meeting political group leaders to "discuss council business" and "address challenges".

"The city cannot afford political games," he said, adding: "Gloucester needs a council that is financially responsible, transparent [and] accountable."

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