The election results this week leave Hull with no-one in overall charge. What exactly does that mean and what next? Answers by our vintage election correspondent Angus Young.
There has been political stability at Hull City Council for the best part of two decades. Over the years Labour and the Liberal Democrats have run the council at different times by establishing clear working majorities in elections. However, that’s all changed after the results in Thursday’s contest. Not only is there no longer a single party with an overall majority but the familiar two-party scenario at the Guildhall now features three.
The election has left the Liberal Democrats with 26 seats. Labour has 16 and newcomers Reform UK has ten. To complicate matters, there are also five Independents.
The maths means the Lib Dems don’t have enough votes to thwart any potential mass vote against them by their opponents.
It’s all currently hypothetical, of course, but the reality of the situation will require a degree of political co-operation to guarantee that things get done and decisions are made.
That paves the way for a mutually beneficial agreement between at least two of the political groups. It won’t be a formal coalition. Instead, in the words of Donald Trump, expect some sort of big, beautiful deal.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the Lib Dems and Labour have more in common than Reform UK who occupy a very different political universe.
So it doesn’t take a great leap of imagination to envisage the traditional rivals across the council chamber deciding to bury the hatchet, albeit temporarily.
An unofficial pact between the groups could allow the Lib Dems to continue as the council’s main political administration in exchange for Labour nominations for key committee posts being supported when vacancies are filled at the council’s annual general meeting later this month. Don’t rule out a successful Labour nominee for the next Lord Mayor under this arrangement either.
Soft Labour support for the Lib Dems could involve a pause in hostilities over any major new Lib Dems policy that might emerge over the next 12 months.
Such a move would leave the new and inexperienced Reform UK group isolated and powerless. As the five Independents are all former Labour and Liberal Democrats, the new kids on the block are unlikely to win new friends among them either.
There have been administrations with no overall majorities before at the Guildhall but they were many years ago and only a few councillors remain from those far off days.
All of which means today’s current crop of politicians on the city council face a steep learning curve when it comes to making local democracy work.