Coventry: Greens gain in city to make group for first time

Two councillors mean the Green Party is officially recognised as a group and can put motions forward for debate

The Green Party will be recognised as a group on Coventry City Council after its second councillor was elected.

Esther Reeves won the Holbrook seat by 78 votes and along with fellow Green Stephen Gray will be able to put motions forward for debate.

There was little change for the rest of the council, where a third of the seats had been up for election with Labour defending a majority of 18.

Labour ended the night with one fewer seat while the Tories stayed the same.

Labour leader George Duggins said he was disappointed not to make gains and called the results "a mixed bag".

His party ended up with 35 councillors, but he said: "We've already got results in Coventry over a long period of time which put us in advance, probably of the Labour Party generally, nationally."

The Conservatives were defending four seats and their group leader, Gary Ridley, said: "The red wave did not materialise and for me that says the Conservatives in Coventry are in strong shape."

He also welcomed the addition of a second Green Party councillor and said: "I work constructively with the Greens."

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