Welsh local elections: Labour regain Flintshire council

Labour is set return to power in Flintshire as a minority administration in a deal with the Liberal Democrats.

The Lib Dems will support the re-election of Labour's Ian Roberts as council leader after agreeing common policy aims - but will not form a coalition.

The parties said they believed it would result in a "stable" administration.

Labour won 31 seats at the local elections - three short of a majority - while the Lib Dems have four.

Labour was denied a majority by an upsurge in support in the Connah's Quay area for Bernie Attridge's independents, who went on to win 30 council seats.

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Key to the Labour-Lib Dem deal is a commitment to working towards securing a better funding deal for the county, described by Cllr Roberts as the "worst deal in north Wales".

Other common policy areas include measures to tackle climate change.

Labour ran the county as a minority administration during the last council term and the county's next administration will be formally appointed at the council's AGM on Thursday 24 May.

"The people of Flintshire gave us the election result they gave us, and I'm certainly not one to question the ballot box," said Cllr Roberts, who has led the county since 2019.

"But we now need to work to ensure the county progresses and retains its place as a council where people want to work, where our schools are good, where our social services and social care is good.

"We want to maintain and improve on the position and I'm sure that working with the Liberal Democrat group we can achieve these priorities."

Lib Dem group leader, Cllr Hilary McGuill said both parties agreed that obtaining a better funding deal from the Welsh government is a "top priority".