Liberal Democrats and Green councillors on Uttlesford form a joint official Opposition Group
Following the remarkable success for both parties nationally in the recent set of local elections on the 5th May*, Liberal Democrat and Green councillors on Uttlesford District Council have agreed to formalise their close working relationship by forming a Liberal Democrat and Green Alliance voting group.
The group consists of 5 Liberal Democrat and 3 Green Councillors. They will become the official opposition group to the Residents 4 Uttlesford administration in the run up to the local elections next May. Under the arrangement both political parties will retain their own political identities.
Cllr Caton said, "Our decision to form this Lib Dem and Green Alliance Group on Uttlesford is the logical next step from our joint working on issues such as the Stansted Airport appeal debacle where the administration failed to support the Planning Committee's decision resulting in the award of costs against Uttlesford; the recent scrapping of the service that provided planning advice to the public and supporting residents in need from the impact of the cost of living crisis".
Councillor Paul Fairhurst added "We will seek to ensure that the R4U administration honour their promises to the voters in 2019. Firstly, on local action to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergency. Secondly, to produce a sustainable Local Plan acceptable to our residents not just the development industry and thirdly, to build more council houses than the previous Conservative administration"
The new Lib Dem (LD) and Green(Gn) Alliance group consists of Cllr Melvin Caton (LD), Stansted South and Birchanger; Cllr Alan Dean (LD), Stansted North; Cllr Paul Fairhurst (Gn), Saffron Walden Shire; Cllr Vere Isham (Gn), Takeley; Cllr Ayub Khan (LD,) Stansted South and Birchanger; Cllr Barbara Light (Gn) Saffron Walden Audley; Cllr Janice Loughlin (LD), Stort Valley; and Cllr Geoffrey Sell (LD), Stansted North.
Note * On the 5th May in the local elections nationally the Liberal Democrats gained 194 seats, the Greens 63 and the Labour Party 22. The Conservative Party lost 336 seats.