Green-Lib Dem-MBI alliance to run new Lancaster City Council cabinet

A new alliance of Greens, Liberal Democrats and a Morecambe Bay Independent have come together to run the Lancaster City Council cabinet.

Nine cabinet members have been announced, headed by new leader Councillor Caroline Jackson of the Greens who was elected on Monday.

The cabinet will include six Greens, who are the largest group on the council, two Lib Dems including deputy leader Peter Jackson, and Morecambe Bay Independent (MBI) Martin Bottoms.

The new agreement follows the collapse of the previous Labour-Green-Lib Dem cabinet alliance, after Labour and the Greens fell out over who should lead the council, and former leader Phillip Black resigned at a dramatic council meeting at Morecambe Town Hall.

The cabinet members and their areas of responsibility are:

Caroline Jackson (Green - leader, housing)

Peter Jackson (Lib Dem - deputy leader, communities, well-being and partnerships)

Gina Dowding (Green - climate change)

Tim Hamilton-Cox (Green - finance and property)

Sue Tyldesley (Green - planning)

Sally Maddocks (Green - corporate services)

Nick Wilkinson (Green - Lancaster regeneration and local economy)

Paul Hart (Lib Dem - environmental services)

Martin Bottoms (MBI - Morecambe regeneration and local economy)

"I'm really pleased to say that the MBIs have put forward a cabinet member," said Councillor Gina Dowding, speaking to Beyond Radio on Thursday.

"That means we have two Morecambe councillors on cabinet, which we think is really important.

"We're working with the Lib Dems, we're pleased the MBIs have come on board, that gives us a majority (on the council), and we just hope that Labour can support when they can."

There are 23 Green councillors, seven Lib Dems and three MBIs out of the 61 elected members on Lancaster City Council.

Labour, who have said they will now be a "supportive and constructive opposition group", have 21 councillors.

There are also five Conservatives and two non-aligned independents on the council.

Councillor Jackson, who represents Bulk ward in Lancaster, was voted in as leader at an extraordinary meeting at Morecambe Town Hall on Monday evening.

The election came about after Councillor Phillip Black of Labour (pictured below), resigned the leadership on November 13. He accused the Greens of "forcing him out" by issuing an ultimatum for him to quit or face a no-confidence vote.

He said the ultimatum came because the Greens had become the largest group on the council.

Councillor Caroline Jackson said the resignation had been "abrupt" and that "perfectly civil negotiations" had been going on between themselves and Labour over a transition of power.

Councillor Black had been expected to remain as leader until May, under a two-year cross-party agreement after the May 2023 local elections when Labour, then the largest group, the Greens and Liberal Democrats formed their alliance.

Both Greens and Labour have blamed the other for triggering the collapse of this agreement.

In a vote on Monday, 31 councillors voted in favour of Caroline Jackson becoming leader.

All Greens and Liberal Democrats, and independent councillor Phil Bradley, voted for her.

All Labour councillors in attendance voted against her becoming leader, as did independent councillor Roger Cleet, totalling 20 votes against.

The Conservatives and Morecambe Bay Independents in attendance abstained, totalling five abstentions.

"We hope (Labour) will be a critical friend to ensure the smooth running of the council," said Councillor Dowding on Thursday.

"We're committed to working on the same priorities we had already. We have some exciting but tricky projects to get over the line, whether that's Eden and (the redevelopment of) Frontierland (in Morecambe) and the Canal Quarter (development in Lancaster).

"There are also some long-standing challenges we face with the condition of our council housing, particularly on Mainway (in Skerton).

"(The next budget) is going to be difficult but I think most people appreciate how hard it is for local councils. We will do our absolute best to balance that budget and make sure vital services are protected as much as possible."

LISTEN to Councillor Gina Dowding speaking to Beyond Radio on Thursday

Former council leader Councillor Phillip Black of Labour spoke to Beyond Radio on Monday after Caroline Jackson was elected to replace him

He said: "I don't think there will be unity going forward, to be quite honest. 

"It is a shame. We came from a period of unity and stability, and now we have been plunged into this situation where there isn't going to be that same level of harmony. It really is all up in the air for the next few months, I'd say."

Councillor Peter Jackson of the Lib Dems, new deputy leader, also spoke to us on Monday

He said: "The three-party cabinet was designed in the first place because the Labour and Green groups had been unable to reach an agreement to have a two-party administration. My role between them was, to some extent, to mediate and try to keep the three-party alliance together. So I was very sorry that it failed.

"But I think the change in arithmetic on the council, the fact the Greens became the largest party meant that some kind of dispute about the leadership and the composition of cabinet was inevitable."

Councillor Andrew Gardiner, Conservative leader on the council (below), also gave his reaction on Monday to the new leader

He said: "The main parties have to come to us more often and ask us for support. But if that doesn't happen, there could be disruption again. I will work with any party. I support the CEO (council chief executive Mark Davies) 100 per cent.

"But we also, maybe now, have a bit more power in our arms. We may be a small group, but everyone is going to need our five votes."

Read more: New Lancaster City Council leader elected - Beyond Radio

Lancaster City Council leader dramatically quits as Labour-Green alliance collapses - Beyond Radio