Anti-Tory coalition takes control of Lewes District Council

News from the Lewes Liberal Democrats:

Lewes District Council, after 8 years of Conservative leadership, is now controlled by a Co-operative Alliance of councillors from the Green, Liberal Democrat, and Labour parties plus two Independents.... 

Liberal Democrat Councillor, James MacCleary and Labour Councillor Chris Collier proposed the new Leader of Lewes District Council, Councillor Zoe Nicholson, leader of the Green Party group in a move to take control of the council. 

The Alliance voted unanimously for the new leadership arrangements with Councillor James MacCleary, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, as Deputy Leader. 

The Alliance has an overall majority on the councillors and is the result of joint working that has been ongoing since the local elections in May. 

The Alliance will operate on a shared leadership arrangement with the Green Party and Liberal Democrats rotating the leadership annually.

As readers of Liberator or Norman Baker's memoirs will know, Lewes Lib Dems do not always agree amongst themselves.

And in May they contrived to lose three seats when we were winning them in fistfuls on other councils across the South of England.

So let's hope this alliance proves a success and helps us towards making Lewes a Lib Dem gain at the next general election.