Runnymede gets innovative political co-leadership

Runnymede's new Council Alliance has four co-leaders

A council in Surrey has installed an innovative leadership arrangement.

Runnymede Borough Council's new political administration has four co-leaders, which has been created after no single party held the majority following local elections this month.

The Runnymede Council Alliance will be led by councillors Linda Gillham (Independent), Robert King (Labour), Steve Ringham (Greens) and Don Whyte (Liberal Democrat).

A leaders' joint statement said: "By building on our political heritages and sharing the policy making democratically between us, we believe we can give both strong leadership and a decision-making process that is more transparent."

'Sensible leadership'

The council says a shared leadership arrangement on this scale is believed to be the first of its kind in England.

The quartet united to create a majority of 25 seats out of the 41 seats on the council.

They said the co-operation "recognises the need for pragmatic and sensible leadership at a time of great importance for the authority".

Residents have a "right to expect co-operation and unity" in how their council is run, they added.

The decision to form a single majority political group means that the Conservative Party and other independent councillors now form the council’s opposition.

Peter Snow, leader of the council's Conservative Group, said the arrangement was "hugely concerning" and that the group would be "taking this matter forward".

"When residents went to the ballot box on 2nd May an approach involving changing political accountability at the council to be held by four co-leaders was not presented as an option, even though this agreement clearly must have been thought about ahead of time," he said.

"Residents are rightfully concerned what the implications of this agreement are on the policies they thought they were voting for in the local elections."