As the dust settles on the 1 May local elections, the work continues at the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group – including supporting Lib Dem groups facing changed circumstances following their elections.
We have three new majority Lib Dem administrations – Shropshire, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire – bringing our total of majority Lib Dem councils to 40 (we lead another 30 in a coalition or alliance arrangement).
The elections saw 370 Lib Dem councillors elected, 163 of these being gains. As first was going to press, we were also hoping to have Liberal Democrat-led administrations in Devon, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Gloucestershire confirmed.
“We are all now sailing in uncharted waters”
Elsewhere, Lib Dem groups have found themselves the official opposition to new Reform UK administrations, as the Tory and Labour groups collapsed. We are the main opposition in places such as Kent, for example. We are all now sailing in uncharted waters!
Our commiserations to our excellent Lib Dem group on Durham Council, where we gained a seat and form the main opposition after a term leading the council as part of an alliance administration. I know they will be holding Reform to account.
At the LGA, the Liberal Democrat Group again increased our vote share. We will use this extra influence to make the argument for a Liberal approach to local government – one that stresses communities working together rather than the vision of division we see from others.