Proposed Labour cabinet for Rochdale council

Labour Leader, Councillor Colin Lambert, said: "Labour will sort out the mess the Lib Dems have left us in"

A meeting between the Leaders of Rochdale’s political parties took place today (Tuesday 7 December 2010) where it was proposed that a minority Labour administration is formed.

The proposal to form a Labour Cabinet will go before full council at a meeting next Wednesday (15 December 2010). 

Labour has 22 of 60 seats in the Council, as a minority administration they will rely on the support of the Conservative and Independent Alliance Party to ensure a majority.

The Leader of the Labour party in Rochdale, Councillor Colin Lambert, said: “These are difficult times and clearly the current situation with the Council cannot continue. For the sake of people in Rochdale Borough action needs to be taken to resolve this turmoil and Labour will rise to the challenge.

“There has been a series of Lib Dem resignations, seven so far, over their party’s leadership both nationally and locally.

"They are rightly dismayed with their party’s broken promises on tuition fees, police cuts and policies that hit the vulnerable hardest. But what Rochdale Council needs now is clear leadership and Labour will sort out the mess the Lib Dems have left us in.

Councillor Lambert added: "There will be a full meeting of the Council on December 15 and once this has taken place and matters have been resolved a further announcement will take place.”

The Leader of the Conservative Party, Councillor Ashley Dearnley said: “Sadly due to the fact that the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats (Councillor Dale Mulgrew) walked out on a meeting to discuss the issue with all parties meant that clearly the coalition could not continue."

Rochdale Online understands Councillor Mulgrew left the meeting because the Leadership of the new Independent Alliance Party was also there.

Councillor Dearnley continued: “Sadly Councillor Mulgrew acted very immaturely and irresponsible with scant regard for the staff and the public when we were in a meeting trying to discuss a way forward. I understand his personal problems but there are bigger issues – the issue that matters is the public.

“It is sad in my view that there is no joint working. This is a time when we should all be working together. I hope the Liberals reflect on their behaviour.”

Councillor Dearnley concluded: “We will do all we can to support sensible measures for the borough as a whole and we will continue to work to that measure."

The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Councillor Dale Mulgrew, said: “We were asked as Liberal Democrat delegates to participate in constructive talks this morning but felt unable to be constructive when the leadership of the Independent Alliance Party were present given their disruption to the political landscape over the past 2-3 weeks.

"The news that the Labour party will now nominate the next Leader of the Council was inevitable given the turmoil that has been caused by the seven defections from the LibDem Group over the last couple of weeks.

“Although we are no longer the largest party, I did enquire with the Labour group leader if their was any chance of forming a Council of Unity, with all political parties acting in the best interests of the borough. We would have been interested in supporting such a coalition of all the mainstream parties, given the tough decisions that lie ahead.

“But this morning it became apparent that the Labour party wanted to go it alone, and so we will now go into opposition mode, challenging the severe cuts agenda where appropriate.

“The majority of the cuts programme is now still ahead of us. In phase two around £45millions worth of cuts are still to be found. Clearly the new leadership of the Council will now have time before the budget Council in February to implement their budgetary plans.”

The Leader of the Independent Alliance Party, Councillor Greg Couzens described Councillor Mulgrew’s behaviour as “incredibly childish”

He said: “We have got so many difficult decisions to make in the borough. The one positive thing that came from the meeting is that the remainder of the parties sat around the table are working together.”