Can Labour find a path to power in Coventry despite losing control?
BBCThe future of Coventry City Council is uncertain after Labour lost its grip on the council.
Not least because the leader of Labour in Coventry, George Duggins, is considering his future after the party suffered what he described as "catastrophic" losses both in the city and nationally.
Labour held 39 of 54 council seats heading into Thursday's election. They left with 24 – four short of the 28 required to retain control of the local authority.
High profile losses included Jim O'Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change and who oversaw several redevelopment projects. He lost his seat by nine votes. Labour had held power since 2010.
Duggins told the BBC he believed the results were a message to Labour locally and nationally and replied "no comment" when asked if Sir Keir Starmer should remain as prime minister.
"You do need to question how a government, not even two years in, can see the kind of catastrophic results that have happened this afternoon," he said.
Asked about his own future, he said he would "think about it over the weekend" with the Labour group due to decide its leader on Monday.
But while Labour may have lost the control of the council, they could still navigate a path to power.
The Green Party could be the key, after doubling their number of councillors to four. Interestingly, that is exactly the number needed if they wanted to form a majority coalition with Labour.
Esther Reeves, the Green group leader in Coventry, hinted an agreement could be on the cards.
She said: "I don't think it's telling anyone anything they don't know that we're not natural bedfellows with Reform. So we will be working out exactly what we are or aren't willing to do."
Reform UK was the biggest beneficiary of Labour's losses. Before the election they had two councillors and ended with 20 – becoming the second largest party.
Jackie Gardiner, the Reform Group Leader in Coventry, said the group would explore relationships with other parties over the weekend.
She said: "It's about working together to solve the problems that we all face and I think that's done far better when we talk to each other."
The Conservatives fell from 10 councillors to six. This included the loss of leader Gary Ridley.
A partnership between Reform and the Tories will no doubt be explored, although it would only have any chance of success if the Greens decided not to back Labour. It's also far from certain Reform or the Conservatives would agree to work together.
The election is over, but the real race for power has just begun.
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