Con-Dem coalition council?

Adam Hewitt • Published 12 May 2010 23:00 0 Comments

See also:

LABOUR'S grip on Reading could soon be well and truly over as councillors prepare for talks which could mean a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.

With the town now represented by two Tory MPs, senior Conservatives have hinted a deal is on the cards which could shake up the Civic Centre, but the Lib Dems may need more persuading that power is worth the risks.

Cllr Richard Willis, a leading Tory, said nationally the big question was "blending" the parties' policies and, when asked if he could see a blue-yellow coalition running Reading Borough Council, he said: "I would hope so; after 27 years of Labour rule, it would be great."

Labour lost overall control in 2008 and has stayed on as a minority administration, with the tacit consent of the other two parties - although the Lib Dems voted against keeping Labour in power in May last year.

Since 2008, the scrutiny of council decisions has been beefed up and top Tories and Lib Dems chair the five scrutiny panels.

The deal has not stopped hard bargaining over the council's budget, which was passed this year only when the Tories accidentally missed the vote.

Conservative group leader Cllr Andrew Cumpsty said: "All options are open. I've not had any discussions with the Liberals about this but it would be an interesting and novel move - it's something worth looking at."

Lib Dem leader Cllr Kirsten Bayes did not rule out such a coalition, but said she worried about the Tory record on social care in local government. But she said, given certain guarantees, she would be happy to enter negotiations, adding: "We will be having discussions with both parties, as we did last year. It's going to be about policy, not who does what job - it's about the right policies for the people of Reading."

Newly-elected Rob White, the borough's first Green councillor, said none of the big parties has yet approached him for support in the coming negotiations but he had an open mind.

Cllr Daisy Benson, who extended her majority in Redlands ward and increased the Lib Dems' vote share in Reading West in the General Election, wrote on Facebook: "So what does this all mean for Lib Dems in local government. New local politics?"

Council leader Jo Lovelock was not available yesterday, but said on Friday: "I hope we can go on working constructively with both other groups."

Such a coalition would have 26 seats to Labour's 19 and the Greens' one. The parties will want to decide who runs Reading before the annual meeting of the council and mayor-making at the Town Hall on Tuesday, May 25.

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @rdgchronicle