Lib Dem losers call for Clegg rethink

Council leader Andrew Waller and his predecessor Steve Galloway, who has been on York Council for 38 years making him one of the Liberal Democrats’ longest-standing councillors in the country, were two of 11 seats lost by the party as they were battered in yesterday’s council elections in the city.

Labour gained eight seats to become the largest party on York Council with 26, while the Tories also profited from the demise of the Liberal Democrats who have held power in the city for the past eight years.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Mr Waller said the Liberal Democrats and their leader Nick Clegg now needed to “seriously reconsider” how the party is being portrayed.

“We have lost this election down to the national effect”, he said.

“There is something seriously wrong with the way that the coalition is being presented to the public.

“It is not being made clear the ways in which Liberal Democrats are achieving restraint in what otherwise would be Thatcherite policies.

“Nick Clegg needs to seriously reconsider how he is engaging with the rest of his party.

“During the campaign Nick Clegg did come up time and time again.

“There hasn’t been the continuity between the MPs and the councillors as there has been in the past.

“Every compromise we have made with the Conservatives has made them more human and for us it has been the reverse.

“I’m proud of our achievements for the city and what we have delivered. We have done a lot of good work and I want to thank the people within my party and the council which has helped me as leader and helped York stay resilient against the recession.

“We saw this coming and in politics you have to accept the rough with the smooth.”

Mr Waller and Mr Galloway were both swept from power in the Westfield ward which now has three Labour councillors.

The Liberal Democrats have now plunged to the third largest party on the council with eight seats, as the Conservatives gained three seats to put them on 10.

The Green party remain on two seats and one Independent member stayed the same.

Mr Galloway, who was also the longest-serving councillor in the city, told the Yorkshire Post he had been braced for the worst ahead of yesterday’s results.

“We are disappointed but we live in a democracy and we know there are people fighting and dying for the right to vote.

“We accept the verdict of the people.

“I have been a councillor for 38 years and it is good that the council does get a turnover of politics from time to time.

“We saw the way that the national vote was going on Thursday night and it wasn’t entirely surprising.

“We were reconciled to it not being the best day for us.”

Coun James Alexander, the leader of the Labour group is widely tipped to be nominated the new leader of York Council following discussions expected to take place today.

At the age of 29, it will make him one of the youngest council chiefs in the country.

He told the Yorkshire Post last night that he was delighted with the result.

“It has been an amazing day for us”, he said.

“The result shows a lot of people have been very concerned about the record of the Liberal Democrats locally as well as nationally.

“It is clear that the coalition has come at a very high price.

“It has been at least 12 years since Labour has had an overall majority on the council and we are delighted.”

The turnout for the York Council elections was 44.72 per cent, compared to the previous turnout of 41.8 per cent for the 2007 council elections.

The highest turnout was in Derwent Ward, with 60 per cent.