Labour take control of City Council as the largest group

Labour and Co-operative will form a minority administration following the local elections.

A clean sweep of Labour councillors winning in troubled Queens Park Ward pushed Labour, three seats ahead of the Tories, making them the largest party on the city council at the local election count yesterday, (May 9).

In a spectacular reversal of the 2011 local election result when the Greens took control of the city with 23 seats (Conservative 18 seats and Labour 13 seats), Labour leap-frogged from third place to become the largest party with 23 seats, the Conservatives taking 20 seats and the Greens coming in a poor third place with 11 seats.

Councillors holding important portfolios in the Green administration swept from power included; Sue Shanks the chair of the Children and Young People’s Committee, Geoffrey Bowden, Chair of Economic Development & Culture Committee, and Stephanie Powell, the chair of the Licensing Committee

Councillor Warren Morgan, Leader of the Labour and Co-operative Group, said: “I am grateful to voters across Brighton and Hove for electing Labour councillors in large numbers, making us the biggest group on the city council.

“Labour candidates won 20,000 more votes than the Conservatives, and as many seats as the Greens won in 2011. We gained 12 seats from the Greens whilst the Conservatives gained just one, so Labour has a clear mandate in terms of seats gained and votes won to lead the city council.

“We will lead a Labour council which will implement the sensible policies we put to voters having listened to them on the issues that matter to them: getting our basic refuse, recycling and street cleaning running properly, tackling the issues of housing and poverty, making our city’s economy work for everyone, and getting the city’s transport networks and roads working as they should.

“We will ask all councillors of all parties to support these common goals that will benefit our city, and we will work constructively and cooperatively with them. The next elections are four years away. It is time to put political rivalry and advantage to one side and put Brighton and Hove first.

“Our city and our residents face enormous challenges under very difficult circumstances, but we will lead with purpose and vision, based on our values of fairness and co-operation, to get the best for everyone in Brighton and Hove.”