‘DISCUSSIONS are ongoing behind the scenes’ between the various political parties in a bid to sort out the ‘hung’ Bromsgrove District Council after last week’s local elections failed to provide anyone with an overall majority.
The Conservatives lost control of the authority for the first time in 24 years.
By the end of the count, the Tories were still the lead party with 11 seats, Labour finished up with eight, the Independents seven and the Liberal Democrats five.
A Labour-Lib Dem coalition would take the combined parties to 13 wards but 16 is needed for a majority.
The seven remaining non-Conservative councillors have all stood on an ‘Independent’ ticket, promising voters an alternative to party politics. This means they would find it difficult to join any coalition as they could not be dictated by a ‘party whip’ and want to vote on individual issues in the best interests of their areas’ voters.
The current cabinet model seems like it would only work if there was one solid party or coalition with a majority.
Among the other options are to scrap the cabinet model and have a committee system where different members from different parties sit on those committees and chair them.
Or there could be a ‘hybrid’ committee / cabinet model – taking different elements from the two systems.
Any solution – which would more than likely need a new system – could take at least six to 12 months to implement.
The next full council meeting will be on May 24 and the papers need to go out a week before meaning, there is under a week for some kind of deal to be reached.
Previously there has been criticism that other parties’ ideas and motions would have benefited the town but were voted down en masse by the controlling Conservative Group members.
Independent Charles Hotham said: “Since the result we have been talking with the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives but it is still yet to be decided and currently it is impossible to see how it will end up.
“We, the Independents, are also talking as a group in a bid to find the best possible solution for the people of Bromsgrove.”
Another Independent, Coun Sue Baxter, expressed fears if too much time was spent sorting out the control, nothing would get done in the next four-year term.
Coun Josh Robinson, from the Lib Dems, said: “Residents have made their voice loud and clear that no one party in Bromsgrove has a mandate to govern alone.
“Lib Dem councillors are pragmatic and willing to work with others where there is common ground.”
The party has three main priorities for this term – to get Artrix reopened, to tackle traffic with an independent study on a relief road or other options, and to protect the green belt, building the right homes in the right places with the right infrastructure.
Coun Karen May, who was re-elected as the Conservative leader on Wednesday, said: “I will work with whoever will come and work with us for the betterment of Bromsgrove – this is a fresh new start.
“Every difficult situation offers opportunities – we have all 99,600 residents in the district to think about.”
Coun Peter McDonald, from Bromsgrove Labour Group, said: “I think currently the dust is still settling but we should know more by the end of the week.”
How the seats were won and lost
IT WAS a roller-coaster few hours at the Bromsgrove District Council election count where the 31 declarations came thick and fast.
Just over half – 18 seats – were held while the other 13 were changing hands like never before – at times it was hard to keep up with the winners and losers.
Some long-standing and high profile councillors lost their seats, including Wythall West where the authority’s deputy leader Coun Geoff Denaro was unseated by Indpendent Stephen Peters and in Lowes Hill where chairman Coun Rod Laight was beaten by Lib Dem Josh Robinson.
Labour were the big winners on the day, holding all four of the seats they had and taking four from the Conservatives and one from the Independents.
The Lib Dems held three seats and gained three from the Conservatives but also lost one to the Tories
The Independents took two seats from the Conservatives but lost one to them and one to Labour.
The Conservatives had the worst result of the day – losing nine seats but clawing back two – one from the Lib Dems and one from the Independent – leaving them with a net loss of seven.
FINAL STANDINGS – Conservative – 11, Labour – 8, Independents – 7, Lib Dem – 5.
Analysis of the results – Number and percentage of votes
We have analysed the number of votes won by each party and the percentage of the vote. Here is what we found –
Conservatives – 10,065 votes – 38.4 per cent of the vote.
Labour – 5.599 votes – 21 per cent of the vote.
Liberal Democrat – 5,227 votes – 19.95 per cent of the vote.
Independents – 4,880 votes – 17.09 per cent of the vote
Green Party – 741 votes – 2.82 per cent of the vote.
Reform UK – 63 votes – 0.24 per cent of the vote.
Trade Unionist – 63 votes – o.24 per cent of the votes.
It is worth noting that the Conservatives were the only party to put up candidates for all 31 wards, Labour and the Liberal Democrats were next – they put up 21 candidates each.
The Independents had candidates in 11 wards, The Green Party stood in nine wards, Reform UK in one ward and the Trade Unionists stood in two.
So would Proportional Representation have made a difference?
According to our calculations, a PR system rather than the First Past the Post may have made a slight difference but would have been unlikely to find a party with an overall majority.
If it was done by number of votes cast or percentage of vote, the Conservatives would have had one more seat, putting them on 12, Labour would have had seven, the Lib Dems would have gained a seat, taking them to six and the independents would have had five. The Green Party would have also had a seat.
