Brentwood: Lib Dems set to run borough council with Labour

The Liberal Democrats - seen here on the local election campaign trail in April - now have as many councillors as the Conservatives at Brentwood Borough Council

Simon Dedman/BBC Liberal Democrats walking along a street in Brentwood — The Liberal Democrats - seen here on the local election campaign trail in April - now have as many councillors as the Conservatives at Brentwood Borough Council

The Liberal Democrats look set to run Brentwood Borough Council with Labour.

Barry Aspinall, Lib Dem group leader, said "the people of Brentwood voted for a change; we will attempt to give it to them" and that both parties had come to a deal.

Brentwood Labour said "it looks likely" a pact would be agreed, but it had to be approved by the party centrally.

The Conservatives lost their majority on the district council in the local elections on Thursday, 4 May.

It put the council into no overall control, meaning no single party has a majority and the biggest party could not run a local authority without support from other parties or independent councillors.

The Tories lost three seats and now have 17 councillors, the same number as the Lib Dems. A LibDem-Lab pact would end eight years of Conservative control.

'Anyone but the Conservatives'

In Tendring, the Conservatives have run the council without a majority since 2015.

Despite winning three more seats than four years ago, and being the largest party with 19 councillors, what one source described as an "ABC alliance" ("anything but the Conservatives"), is ready to take power.

Independents, Labour and Lib Dems have formed an alliance that is expected to come take control of the Clacton-based council the its annual general meeting on 23 May.

Independent councillor Mark Stephenson looks set to lead the council, with Labour's Ivan Henderson as the deputy.

The Conservatives have admitted it looks likely they will be in opposition in Tendring, which also includes Harwich, Manningtree, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze.

Conservatives could run Southend

Meanwhile, with negotiations continuing in Southend, sources involved say it looks likely at the moment that the Conservatives will run the city council with support from some independent councillors.

The unitary council has been run by a Labour-led coalition since 2019.

Despite Labour gaining two council seats last week, their coalition partners the Lib Dems lost two seats, and two independents lost theirs.

Now some independents are said to be likely to support the Tories, who are the largest party but without an overall majority.

A meeting on Thursday, 18 May will formalise who will run the authority.

Negotiations continue

At Colchester City Council, another district council in no overall control, negotiations are still taking place.

The Lib Dems and Labour, who have been coalition partners, now have the same number of seats with 15 each.

The Lib Dems have previously been the larger party.

Now there are talks over who will have the position of leader of the council along with sorting out what an alliance's plans would be for the council over the next 12 months.

These talks are ongoing at present.

'Chaotic'

At Maldon District Council, things are looking "chaotic" according to one councillor and another described negotiations over who will run the local authority as being like "open heart surgery".

Maldon has had a turbulent four years since the 2019 elections.

A Conservative council leader quit after bringing the authority into disrepute, the Tories lost their majority after members quit or were suspended from the party, and independents briefly ran the council.

The Conservatives, who have won majorities for decades on the relatively small district council, took 10 of the 31 seats last week.

The Tories are in talks with some independents about forming a coalition.