Len faces council

With the Herald going ballistic and Len hounded from one engagement to another by a heckling mob it seems improbable he can continue as Mayor. Now add to that list today's censure motion from his own council.

NZ Herald:
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Auckland Council today passed a vote to censure Mr Brown but continue to work with him, and will not carry out a vote of no confidence.
A preliminary vote was tied, but was passed by 15 votes to five, following a 30-minute adjournment
Speaking to media this afternoon, Mr Brown said he accepted the decision.
"This is a fair but very firm direction to myself and I have indicated to them that I accept that that is an appropriate direction."
He would not be drawn on how much he would contribute to the Ernst and Young report into his affair with Bevan Chuang, a matter which will now be the subject of "confidential but binding" negotiations between Mr Brown and a group of councillors.
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The motion passed by 15 votes to 5 with cries of "shame on you'' coming from the public gallery.
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Councillor Mike Lee said the issue was unprecedented in his 21 years in local Government politics.
"The Auckland council in the past few weeks and months has suffered a blow, it's been battered and bruised and the question now is what to do about it.''
The motion of censure was unprecedented and was one of the strongest motions a fellow politician could give, Mr Lee said.
"It means we have chastised the mayor for his failings, and a motion of no confidence means that we can't work with him.
"Members, we have a choice here and we have to try and move forward.''
Councillor Dick Quax said the council would only be able to move forward when Mr Brown was gone.
"He has been the architect of his own dilemma.''
All he has done was to try to put the blame on someone else, he had shown no integrity and failed in his duty of the Mayor of Auckland, Mr Quax said.
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A presentation was given by Auckland resident Lisa Prager, who told Mr Brown his time as mayor was over.
The comment was met by calls of "stand down Len, stand down'' from the packed public gallery.
"We want you gone, we want you out of that seat,'' some observers called.
"I call on this governing committee to do the right thing and ask for this man to stand down,'' Ms Prager said.
"On behalf of the people of Auckland I ask for you stand down.''
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Len is going down in flames. Penny Hulse may have to take over - she would be the continuity candidate that Len's voters would likely back. She has basically run things for the last three years while Len has been conducting his important Mayoral duties of cutting ribbons, shaking hands and cavorting about town with his mistress.

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Auckland Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse won't say whether she would stand for mayor in a by-election, should Len Brown resign.
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Ms Hulse said she had "absolutely no view'' on whether Mr Brown should resign.
"Legally, if Len resigned, I would become the temporary mayor while a by-election is held. There's no getting around the legal process. However, that's in the future and it may be something that will never happen.
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