Our free email updates are the best way to get headlines direct to your inbox Our free email updates are the best way to get headlines direct to your inbox Labour has again intervened in Nottingham City Council in a move which some of the party's own councillors have branded "disgusting". The Nottingham Labour group of councillors have been denied their usual vote on who should occupy a range of roles, including deputy council leader. Party officials have instead produced a shortlist of one for deputy leader, meaning Ethan Radford will stay in post without his colleagues getting a say. One Labour councillor has told Nottinghamshire Live they are "angry", whilst others are said to be "resigned to the fact that this will be the case for years." Labour has consistently defended the way it is intervening in Nottingham City Council, saying it is part of its mission to "rebuild" the authority and its financial stability. (Image: Reach PLC/Oliver Pridmore) Government-appointed commissioners overseeing Nottingham City Council have described improvements in its leadership since Labour's interventions began. A Labour spokesperson said: "We are pleased that the Labour Group and the leadership at Nottingham City Council are making good progress in delivering a sustainable council. "The appointment of Councillor Radford reflects the commitment the leadership are making in driving forward key priorities for the city, including economic regeneration, financial resilience, and delivering high-quality public services." Councillor Radford said: "There is still much work to do but we are ambitious for the future as clearly demonstrated by our renewed council plan, which will provide the framework for us to become a renewed council that delivers for local people and leads Nottingham forward. "I look forward to continuing to work alongside colleagues and our communities to deliver on our ambitious vision for Nottingham." The party's actions continue to upset many of its own councillors. Nottinghamshire Live understands at least two other people were interested in becoming deputy leader - Steve Battlemuch and Audra Wynter. Yet after interviews with party officials, neither of them even made it onto the shortlist, despite one having been a portfolio holder and the other having been deputy leader before. The fact that just one person has made it on the shortlist means Nottingham councillors will not get any vote at all. The votes were set to take place at upcoming annual general meetings of the group on Thursday (April 24) and Monday. Labour's intervention at Nottingham City Council has increased since its effective declaration of bankruptcy in November 2023. Although local elections every four years see Nottingham voters choosing their local councillors, the public have no say in who then leads the council. That decision is made by the party which wins enough councillors to have a majority and run the council. Nottingham Labour, the only party to have run the city council since 1988, therefore hold meetings every year to confirm their leadership team. These meetings would usually see Labour councillors having free votes on who should be the leader and deputy leader and who should occupy various other party and portfolio holder roles. It means that in the past, a leader's position has only been secure for a year at a time and every year, they have had to face the Nottingham Labour group to see if councillors remain happy with their leadership. Some years have seen the leader go unchallenged, avoiding the need for any vote, whilst others have seen a challenger putting themselves forward. Yet the national Labour Party's intervention has completely overhauled this process. The intervention began when Labour said that rather than councillors getting a free vote, party officials would be vetting candidates who wanted to succeed David Mellen as leader after his resignation. Councillors were set to be presented with a shortlist of vetted candidates to choose from but in the end, the party said only Neghat Khan was suitable and she was therefore installed without any vote in May 2024. The party also chose Ethan Radford to be deputy leader. The most recent intervention then saw Labour establish a Campaign Improvement Board (CIB) in February 2025 to oversee Nottingham Labour. The CIB was the group that decided intervention was needed again for the selection process of deputy leader, as well as internal party roles of chief whip, three deputy whips, chair, secretary and treasurer. Although the position of leader would also be up for grabs in normal circumstances at the annual meetings, a change to the rules means Neghat Khan is confirmed in office until the next local elections in 2027. The intervention continues to anger many backbench Labour councillors, with many threatening to quit the party when Neghat Khan was first installed as leader. One Nottingham Labour source previously said it feels as though aspects of how the city council is run is now being "dictated" by the national party. It follows months of recent tension in Nottingham Labour, which included one councillor alleging that party officials engaged in "unacceptable" behaviour at a recent meeting by branding the city council a "s***hole." Another Nottingham Labour councillor was also suspended recently for appearing to suggest that Muslims should not vote for his party. The Labour Party was approached for comment and did not reply in time for publication, but a spokesperson previously said: "The Campaign Improvement Board is continuing to support the Labour Group and the leadership at Nottingham City Council, working together as they continue to rebuild the local authority - taking the tough and responsible decisions to deliver for residents."