The East Riding Liberal Democrat group has elected a new leader who said they will remain in opposition, ruling out a bid to take control of the council.
Cllr Denis Healy, who defeated previous Liberal Democrat leader Cllr David Nolan at the group’s annual general meeting, added they would instead be a principled opposition to the next council administration.
He said his victory came after the electorate signalled it wanted changed at East Riding Council which was left under no party’s control following last week’s local elections.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives elected Cllr Anne Handley to be their new leader on Thursday defeating incumbent Cllr Jonathan Owen.
The changes at the top followed local elections which saw Conservative numbers on the council slashed to 29, five short of the 34 out of 67 seats needed for a majority.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats surged from the 13 seats it entered the election with to 22.
Cllr Healy, of St Marys ward, was elected Liberal Democrat leader alongside Bridlington North’s Cllr Jayne Phoenix who will take over from him as deputy leader of the group.
Cllr Healy was first elected to the council in a by election in 2016, with Cllr Phoenix coming in via the same route last June.
The new leader told LDRS his victory marked a new chapter for the group, one where a change of style was needed to suit their larger council presence.
But he added that presence would be brought to bear in opposition and they would not be seeking control of the council at its AGM next Thursday (May 18).
His ruling out of a pact with other groups means the next administration will most probably be a Conservative one, either as a minority or with members from other groups.
Cllr Healy said:
“For me the key is making sure that we can hold the Cabinet to account as an effective and serious opposition, that’s our responsibility now.
“I’d love for us to be in control of the council and that’s what we need to be aiming for ultimately.
“But the numbers aren’t there for us, we’re 12 short, so I think it’s a bridge too far for us because I don’t think we should be making alliances with other groups.
“We’ve got about 30 per cent of the seats on the council so that will allow us to be a principled and strong opposition. We need to play our full part in the life of the council, especially in scrutinising its work.
“Ultimately it’s about putting residents first, going forward I want us to push for more decisions to be made at a local and community level.
"As a group we’ve come so far – when I was elected we had two councillors, we’ve since gone from nine to the 22 we have now.
“During that time David’s been an integral part of the Liberal Democrats, he’s played a huge part in our electoral success but I think its time for a new style of leadership.
"Not that one style is better than the other, but now we’ve got 22 seats we need a style that reflects that.
“It’s about having the respect of people in the council and I think I’ve contributed a lot to it with the committees I’ve been on including two planning committees. Jayne’s got some great skills that will make her a great deputy leader and she comes from Bridlington.
"We want to show that the Liberal Democrats cover all parts of the East Riding.
“We’ve also got the change with the Conservatives as well with Anne Handley, it all underlines a new beginning. Having fresh faces is something I welcome, I look forward to scrutinising her work and I wish her well.”
Former Lib Dem group leader Cllr Nolan has been contacted for comment.
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