Reform accuse parties of ‘propping up’ Tories as coalition rumours denied at Northumberland County Council

Councillors have voted to re-elect Tory leader Glen Sanderson as the council boss. Members from the Independent Group, Liberal Democrats and Greens backed his bid, with their support ensuring the Conservatives came in ahead of Reform leader Mark Peart’s bid for leadership.

The Tories are the largest party on the council with 26 seats to Reform’s 23 – but remain nine short of an overall majority. However, while Reform claimed a “coalition” opposed them, Coun Sanderson and the other group leaders have insisted there is no official “deal” between the parties.

A series of votes among councillors also saw Reform fail to secure the chair of any of the council’s various scrutiny or planning committees. It is worth noting the party did not put forward a nomination for the Ashington and Blyth Local Area Committee despite a strong presence in the area, while some members opted to vote for Conservative councillor Daniel Carr for the vice-chair of the committee.

A spokesman for Northumberland Reform said: “We have seen that the other parties have formed a coalition in an attempt to block Reform. We saw surreal scenes of Labour voting for a Tory Councillor to be chair and the Tory Deputy Leader nominating Labour’s Leader for a committee position.

“It is clear now that Reform are the only opposition party on Northumberland county council and that Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens and the independent group now solely exist to prop up the Tories.”

Prior to the meeting, Reform insisted they would demand a “high price” for any coalition agreement with other parties.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Coun Sanderson said: “There is no deal. We could have done a formal coalition and written down terms, but it is simply a joining together of a collective vision for the county council and for the residents of Northumberland.

“In many ways, that makes the council even stronger. We will continue with the same commitment and passion for the county, and we will continue with our priorities.

“It will require discussions with other parties going forward – that is something that is in my diary already. We will share as much information as we can in the run-up to the budget, and that process will begin quite soon.”

Other party leaders have reiterated the fact that there is no deal with the Tories. Coun Martin Swinbank, who leads the Green group, said: “We are not signed up to anything.

“As a Green group, we voted for Coun Sanderson four years ago too. Obviously, we need a leader and Coun Sanderson is the leader of the largest group, so it seems to make sense to continue with that.

“We voted for stability for the governance of Northumberland County Council – we want to see things move forward. We are supportive as a group but we will be critical where we have to be.

“There will be ongoing conversations between the group leaders.”

Liberal Democrat leader Coun Isabel Hunter added: “There is no deal. There is nothing in writing – it is an informal agreement to work together for the good of the people of Northumberland.

“The county council has to have a leader and cabinet, and it is a case of we have to do something. We need to educate the children, fill the potholes and empty the bins.

“The Tories are going to have to talk to us, but we will work for the good of all residents of Northumberland.”

Meanwhile Labour, who were reduced to just eight councillors on May 1, abstained from the vote on the new leader. Speaking after the meeting, leader Coun Scott Dickinson said: “While we respect the outcome of the election that resulted in the Conservatives becoming the largest group, we could not support the status quo of higher council taxes and reduced services that the people of Northumberland have experienced over the past eight years of Conservative rule.

“Therefore, we could not vote in favour of the Conservative leader’s nomination. The Labour councillors, elected by the public, will play an active role in the Council to hold the Conservatives accountable and work diligently to influence change. We will always work in the interests of Northumberland.”