Despite 300% increase in Green seats won at the 4th May local elections, Labour shuts the door on Greens forming any part in a three-way coalition to run the District.
An historic local election success on 4th May saw Greens quadrupling their Councillors (from one to four) and scoring the highest single vote for any candidate in the District when Green Group Leader, Clare Turnbull, retained her seat in Gorrell Ward, Whitstable, with 2,045 votes. Greens also secured a second seat in Gorrell and won for the first time in West Bay and Swalecliffe.
The results of the local elections left the Labour Party two seats short of an overall majority and needing to form a coalition to take control of the Council. Despite the Green Party local election success on 4th May and the widespread public call for a fresh approach to local politics, Greens were told by the local Labour Party that their National Executive Committee in London has vetoed any local coalition which included the Green Party.
“Obviously we are disappointed because we think a broad coalition would have been the right way forward for the people of the District,” says Green Group leader Clare Turnbull. “We will continue to be collaborative on tackling sewage pollution, excessive housing development, transport and other key green issues but, as the opposition, it will also be our duty to hold the administration to account on their election pledges and we will do so.”
