Parties strike deal to run Newcastle City Council
LDRSA deal has been struck to run Newcastle City Council after no party managed to secure a majority in the 7 May election.
The Liberal Democrats will be in charge of the authority with a minority administration after securing support from the Green Party, ending 15 years of Labour control.
The deal would see the Greens "serve as a co-operative opposition", giving them influence over the Lib Dem administration's policies in return for votes in the council chamber on an issue-by-issue basis.
Lib Dem councillor Colin Ferguson, who is expected to be formally appointed as council leader at an AGM on Wednesday, said his priority was to deliver "the change the people of Newcastle want to see".
He said: "It's clear we need to work together to implement a forward-looking set of policies that works for every resident of the city, and we will shortly announce policy objectives for the year ahead."
Nick Hartley, leader of the council's Green group, said the deal signalled a "new era for Newcastle politics", as residents wanted to see politicians putting the city's interests "ahead of tribal politics".
He said: "This agreement allows the Greens to remain an independent and cooperative opposition while playing a meaningful role in shaping the future direction of Newcastle and strengthening democratic accountability."
As well as formally voting in the new council leader, councillors will also vote on Wednesday to appoint the opposition leader, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
While Reform UK is the second biggest party on the council with 24 seats, a deal with the four independent councillors and two Labour ones could secure the opposition role for the Greens, who have 23 seats.
