Kuldip Sahota denies he is being forced out as Telford & Wrekin Council leader

It comes after Telford Conservative party leader Councillor Andrew Eade said that he believed the Labour leader had been pushed out in a coup, which had seen Councillor Shaun Davies, fellow ward member for Malinslee and cabinet member for business, neighbourhood and customer services, put in place as leader.

Conservative MP for The Wrekin Mark Pritchard also put a message out on the social media site Twitter, saying:

However, both Councillor Sahota and Councillor Davies denied the claims.

Councillor Davies described it as "utter rubbish".

Councillor Sahota said: "It is my choice. I could have left after one year, two years, I could have left last year but I thought I would stay for one more."

He added: "I am doing this of my own free will. Politics is a very stressful thing to be in, and I have always said that.

"As leader you feel like you are spinning plates and you have to make sure that none of the plates fall."

Councillor Sahota says he plans to stay on as a councillor for the ward of Malinslee and hopes that he will be able to dedicate more of his time to meeting the needs of the residents.

He has been the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council for almost five years. But as he approaches his 65th birthday he said he had taken the decision to step down from the role.

Councillor Sahota says he feels he has achieved a lot for the council but says that now is the time to take a back seat and watch others take the reins in the borough.

He said: "The last five years has seen this council achieve an incredible amount against a backdrop of the deepest cuts to council budgets ever – and the probably the toughest financial outlook this council has ever faced.

"I joined this council aged 50 and next month I mark my 65th birthday. I feel it is the right time to hand the reins on to a new leader who can continue to move this council forward in a very challenging climate.

"I am very proud of what Telford & Wrekin has achieved since 2011.

"That list is a long one – the hugely successful Southwater development, securing the MoD Fulfilment centre at Donnington for the borough, halving youth unemployment, regenerating many areas such as Brookside, Hadley and Hollinswood, putting this council on a much more commercial footing and leading the way with initiatives, such as our solar farm and Nuplace homes for private rent that will earn new income and help limit the impact of cuts in Government grant.

"At the same time we have done so much to make this borough a place that attracts and wins business, where economic growth is outstripping the regional and national figures, and to make Telford and Wrekin a place that is a destination for all the right reasons.

"I look forward to passing this baton on and to ensure that this council keeps working for the borough and its residents. I will continue to serve the council in any way the new leader feels I am able to.

"After the AGM in May I will continue to represent the council's Malinslee and Dawley Bank ward."

Mr Sahota has been married for almost 40 years to wife Sukhi, 57, who runs the Market Hall Cafe in Wellington, where Mr Sahota regularly helps out.

He has two sons, Sundeep, 33, and Harprit, 38, who have both recently married, and will become a father to his first child in November this year.

Mr Sahota has lived in his home in Woodside Road, Ketley, for 50 years. March 8 marked the anniversary of his move from the Punjab in India.

He said: "My father came to England in 1957 as an economic migrant and me, my brother and two sisters were left behind in India. I was about six years old.

"Ten years later, in 1966, we came to join him as a family."

Mr Sahota worked for 15 years at GKN Sankey in Hadley before starting up his own businesses, including running shops in Shrewsbury, a car park and even a hotel in Orlando, Florida – all the time living in Telford.

He came to politics relatively late in life, joining the Labour party in his 40s, becoming a councillor for the first time at the age of 50.

He said: "Telford is a great place to live, it has given me and my family a lot. My sons went to school in Telford, I went to school in Telford, so Telford means a lot to me.

"I will never leave Telford and I intend to spend my remaining years in Telford as well.

"I am very grateful."