Over the last few weeks, I have spoken with more than 2,000 residents of the borough on their doorsteps or in the street. They have a wide variety of views on national and local matters, but one theme kept coming up. People across the borough want the parties on the council to work together whenever they can. With the local elections over, there is an opportunity for the very kind of cross-party cooperation that many of our residents want to see.
The Lib Dem administration that has been providing the political leadership of the council since May 2022 is used to working collaboratively. Until June 2025, we led a minority administration, and had to seek consensus between parties whenever possible, and negotiate over differences to ensure that important council business was conducted and necessary decisions made.
When we secured an overall majority following the Maiden Erlegh and Whitegates by-election nearly a year ago, some of our opponents presumed that our consensual approach would end. It did not. Nor will it change now that, thanks to the electorate of the borough more widely, we have increased our majority in the recent local elections.
While the previous administration, run by the Conservatives, adopted a winner-takes-all attitude, we believe that working with other parties, and giving them the opportunity to contribute, is a much better and more productive way of proceeding.
The council’s constitution envisages cross-party overview and scrutiny committees checking the powers of the executive, or cabinet. Under the previous administration, these overview and scrutiny committees were arenas of conflict rather than constructive engagement. The Conservative executive made decisions, the most controversial of which were then ‘called in’, or brought before a cross-party overview and scrutiny committee for review, after the executive had committed itself to a course of action. Recommendations for modification or rethink made by the committee rarely, if ever, led to a change of heart by the executive. Decisions already made were not unmade.
The Lib Dem administration has pursued a different course. Reports prepared by council officers for executive approval have gone to overview and scrutiny committees before the executive decides. The result has been a chance for backbench councillors of all parties to suggest changes to a proposal in advance of executive approval. The executive has often made the changes recommended by the overview and scrutiny committee.
All this may seem remote from the concerns of residents. But it directly affects council performance. Decisions based on all the evidence available, and that have benefitted from the input of councillors of all parties, usually lead to better outcomes for residents.
In the coming year I should like to continue to build upon the progress we have made with the overview and scrutiny committees, enabling councillors of all parties to work with executive colleagues to strengthen proposed policies and initiatives.
There are good councillors in all parties. I believe the council more effectively serves the community when it calls on the experience and expertise of those councillors. In the spirit of drawing on all the talents available, I have offered, as I have done every year that I have led the council, the chairs and vice chairs of different committees to the Conservative and Labour groups.
It takes two to tango, as they say. I am keen to pursue a less partisan and more collaborative approach. But is the opposition willing to do the same?
