Cambridgeshire County Council: Lib Dems, Labour and Independents form alliance

From left, Independent Tom Sanderson, Lib Dem Lucy Nethsingha, and Labour's Elisa Meschini mark the start of their control of Cambridgeshire County Council

A coalition of Liberal Democrat, Labour, and Independent councillors has taken control of a council lost by the Conservatives in the local election.

The Tories lost eight seats last week, falling three short of holding on to power at Cambridgeshire County Council.

The party also lost the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election with Labour's Nik Johnson beating the incumbent James Palmer.

Lib Dem group leader Lucy Nethsingha said it was an "ambitious agreement".

The Conservatives are still the biggest party on the council with 28 seats, while the Lib Dems picked up five seats to leave them with 20 councillors.

Labour, who won nine seats at the Cambridgeshire County Council election, have formed an alliance with the Lib Dems and the Independent group

Labour gained two seats, giving them a total of nine councillors, and the Independents gained one seat, bringing the group's total to four.

Ms Nethsingha, who is the administration's nominee for leader of the council, said she was "absolutely delighted" at the "comprehensive" agreement between the Lib Dems, Labour and the Independent group.

She said: "Tackling the climate emergency will be at the heart of our administration, and will be a key focus across all policy areas."

'In bed with the opposition'

Elisa Meschini, leader of the Labour group, said the administration would "advance an agenda for change".

The Liberal Democrats made gains on Cambridgeshire County Council

Tom Sanderson, leader of the Independent group, said: "We have worked together to provide an excellent set of policies for the next few years that will make our local communities a better place for everyone."

In a blog post written this week the former Conservative leader of the council, Steve Count, said: "As we prepare for opposition, I wonder if the public will be happy with their choices."

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He said those who voted for the Lib Dems or Labour believed "theirs is the superior party, only to find out that their elected councillors have already got into bed with the opposition".

Mr Count also claimed the two parties had an agreement to try to oust the Conservatives before the election.

Labour did not field candidates in six south Cambridgeshire seats, five of which had been won by the Conservatives in 2017, and the Lib Dems won all of those seats.

But the leaders of both parties said it was not an organised pact and suggested it was a result of the pandemic making organising candidates tougher in that part of the county.