The political groups on East Riding Council have begun power sharing talks after last week’s elections gave no one a majority.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour and Yorkshire Party have spoken to one another after the results came in on Friday (May 5).
Conservative group leader Cllr Jonathan Owen told LDRS on Friday that he would be open hearing what ambitions people had in certain areas in exchange for their support.
Liberal Democrat leader Cllr David Nolan said his group’s doors were open to all groups and none, but added the results showed change was needed after years of Conservative rule.
It comes ahead of the crunch council annual general meeting later this month to decide who will take control following the elections.
The poll left the Conservatives as the largest group on East Riding Council, with 29 out of 67 seats.
But the group, which controlled the council with 42 seats before the poll, is now left five short of the 34 required to govern alone.
It means that to stay in power they will either have to agree for one or more groups to prop up a minority administration or govern in a coalition.
Last week’s elections saw the Liberal Democrats win 22 seats, up from 13 before the vote and the nine they won in the last all-out polls in 2019.
Labour got back on the council after they were wiped out in 2019, winning four councillors while the Yorkshire Party gained a seat bringing their total to three.
There are now also nine independent councillors with seats in County Hall, split between an organised group and non-aligned members.
Each of the groups are set to hold post-election meetings this week to discuss and decide on a course of action following the results.
In Labour’s case, the newly elected councillors will also decide on who their leader will be now that they have a group on the council.
Meetings and talks will continue until Thursday, May 18 when the council holds its annual general meeting.
The meeting, previously a formality, would be the first test to see which combination of groups can command a majority in County Hall to elect the council’s leader and deputy.
It will offer the first glimpse into the new political realities at East Riding Council and set the tone for the coming four years, provided the deals struck can hold.
The local election results ushered in the first period of no overall control for the council since 2007 when the Conservatives first won an election outright.
They have either run the authority on their own or have being part of a coalition since its creation in 1996.
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