Blame game starts as city coalition deals end in rows

The local elections last Thursday saw the Liberal Democrats lose control of Sheffield City Council as the party lost two seats and Labour gained three.

The authority is now in no overall control and the Labour group has rejected a Lib Dem offer of a shared cabinet – which would have seen the Lib Dems retaining five posts, giving Labour four and the Greens one.

The Lib Dems remain the largest party at the council, and are working to gain the support of the Greens which would give them a majority coalition.

Leeds City Council remains in no overall control but the election saw the ruling Lib Dem and Tory coalition lose three seats between them, with Labour gaining four. The coalition now has a combined 43 seats, with Labour on 48, and eight held by minor parties.

Labour leader Keith Alexander said the result was "a clear vote of no confidence" in the coalition but joint council leader Andrew Carter said talks were continuing with minor parties and he believed a "rainbow coalition" could be put together.

An official announcement on the results of the power struggle at both authorities is unlikely to be made before their annual meetings at the end of May.

Coun Carter said he thought talks would go "right to the wire" before their meeting on May 27. "Negotiations are going on all over the place – Labour still need the support of others, we have a very fluid situation here. It is far too soon to say what the results of the talks may be."

Leader of the Labour Group Coun Keith Wakefield said: "This is a clear vote of no confidence in the Tory and Liberal Democrat coalition and demonstrates that the public no longer have any faith in the ability to run this council."

In Sheffield the Lib Dems angrily accused Labour of putting their interests above those of the city. Leader Paul Scriven said: "I wanted to work in a coalition with Labour and the Greens, a new way of working in Sheffield by breaking down the tribal politics of the past. Labour rejected that without even discussion. They are not interested in a new style of politics."

But Labour leader Jan Wilson said her party was not prepared to work in a "Lib Dem dominated cabinet".

She added: "There is a difference between sharing things and being part of someone else's outfit. We have just finished a campaign on the streets with Labour arguments and Labour policies, we can't now be part of Lib Dem policies."

The council's annual meeting is on May 19.

Bradford City Council also remains in no overall control, though the Conservative and Labour split with 36 seats each has changed after Labour gained three and the Tories lost four.

The authority is likely to continue to be run by the Tory and Lib Dem coalition with the Lib Dems holding 14 seats.

The Tories elected long-serving Ilkley councillor Anne Hawk-esworth as group leader, replacing Kris Hopkins who is now MP for Keighley and Ilkley.