Gio Spinella told colleagues he was stepping down from the council on Friday

THE leader of the Camden Conservatives has stepped down from the Town Hall, triggering a council by-election and an opening vacancy any the top of the group.

Gio Spinella said his decision to bid the council chamber farewell was “not political” despite previous public comments criticising Brexit, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss over the years, adding today (Monday): “After 14 years of service, I’m tired. It is time for somebody else to come through. I am proud of my public service but it is an exhausting role.”

There will now be a by-election in the Frognal & Fitzjohns ward on May 2, the same day as the mayoral and London Assembly elections It is traditionally considered the party’s safest ward electorally and Tory organisers are due to select a by-election candidate tonight (Monday), potentially selecting their next leader at the same time – if the party holds the seat.

Once the official opposition in Camden, the party was reduced to just three councillors at the 2022 local elections, a result which was blamed locally on national issues. The lop-sided make-up of Camden Council currently stands at Labour 46, Lib Dems 5, Conservatives 3 and the Greens with 1.