THE Conservatives and Reform UK have joined forces to run an Essex council, despite insisting it’s not a coalition reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
During a heated meeting, Billericay councillor Andy Barnes was voted in as the Conservative leader of Basildon Borough Council, on May 21. The Tories will take the cabinet, which is the group that leads and makes decisions, while Reform UK leads the committees.
Gavin Callaghan, former Labour council leader officially took the opposition lead at the packed council chamber in the offices in St Martin’s Square, Basildon.
Speaking after the meeting, Andy Barnes said Reform has given the Tories “a stable administration by offering confidence.” He added: “They will support the budget, obviously there will be certain policy considerations to take into account, on everything else we are independent.
“There’s certainly no formal agreement for them to back everything we bring to the table, potentially they could throw out everything we bring. I think Reform, the Conservatives and Independents want this to work and to deliver for their residents.”
He added it’s not in the interest of those parties to “disrupt” the council. He insists if there’s “good will on both sides” it can work.
It comes after Labour suffered a battering at the local elections. The party lost the six seats it was defending, while Reform surged at the polls. After the election, Reform UK holds 11 seats, the Tories and Labour each hold 12 seats, while the various Independent groups hold seven. Sam Journet, leader of the Reform UK Basildon group, took the mayoral role, but refused to discuss anything else with press on the night.
Councillor Barnes will also be the councillor responsible for finance and strategy, with longstanding Tory councillor, Kevin Blake, taking the role of deputy leader of the council and councillor for service improvement.
Mr Barnes also said his priorities included the local government reorganisation, which is the merger with Thurrock Council, the “appalling” state of the council’s housing, efficiencies and and ways to save money as there’s a £5.5million nugget gap and regeneration across Basildon, Laindon and Wickford.
