Elections 2021: Conservatives form alliance for control at Colchester

Colchester Borough Council had been run by a Liberal Democrat coalition with Labour prior to Thursday's elections

The Conservatives are due to take control of Colchester Borough Council for the first time in 13 years.

The authority had been run by a Liberal Democrat coalition with Labour prior to Thursday's elections.

After the vote, the Tories failed to make any gains but remained the largest party with 23 councillors.

But talks concluded on Monday to form a joint administration with the Highwoods independents group, which gives them a majority of one.

Paul Dundas, leader of the Conservative Group, said: "We have had extremely productive discussions over the last few days and found we have a great deal in common in our visions for Colchester.

"At the heart of this is that we both agree Colchester always comes first and always above politics."

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Beverley Oxford, of the Highwoods group, said the Lib Dem-Labour administration "were doing things we didn't like" and "treated us with disrespect".

The Highwoods group was set up in the early 2000s to represent that area of the town.

The outgoing leader of Colchester Borough Council, Lib Dem Mark Cory, said he did reach out to work with the independents after the election, adding that his party will now focus on being a "robust opposition".

Labour councillor Julie Young said she was "shocked" that the Highwoods independents would work with the Conservatives and that the move "ends a decade of a progressive alliance in Colchester".

The full council is due to meet on 26 May.

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