News from Cumbria Labour

Cumbria County Council Labour Group Position Statement following last week’s County Council elections

The Labour Group recognises that on 4th June no single political Group was given a mandate to run the Council.

Last September following the collapse of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat administration, the Labour Group called for a politically proportionate Cabinet.

In the event the Labour Group took up their entitlement of five seats and ran the Council as a minority administration for nine months, whilst the other two groups refused to participate.

Since last September both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups have new leaders and a significant number of new councillors and we hope this will enable them to reconsider their position.

At the County Council Annual General Meeting on 18th June, the Council will elect a Leader. Who that Leader is will depend entirely on the votes of the Liberal Democrats and the six Independent members. They will decide the outcome by either voting or abstaining.

Once a Leader has been elected, the Labour Group would wish to see a politically proportionate Cabinet.

The Labour Group is prepared to take up its allocation of seats in such a Cabinet and calls on the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Groups to participate by also taking up their seats.

We do so because we believe this represents the best way forward for Cumbria. It will require members of all political groups to work together, identifying areas of agreement and being prepared on occasion to put aside differences. The Council faces some very difficult decisions over the next four years and the outcome of the election requires us all to work together to ensure effective and stable governance of the County.

Other news from Cumbria Labour

• Carlisle Labour says "Protect our Parks" as Clark's Field threatened - 6 January 2009