A Green councillor said that his party would back Labour in a crucial vote today (Tuesday 5 March) when the Conservatives try to seize political control of Brighton and Hove City Council.
Dick Page, who represents Hanover and Elm Grove, posted on Facebook: “We Greens will be supporting Labour to maintain continuity for this short period.
“It’s bonkers to change all the chairs of committees, etc, around for no time at all, when the Tories have little moral authority and all residents get to have their say very soon.”
Local elections are due to take place on Thursday 2 May. The local election campaign officially begins in just over a fortnight.
Councillor Page’s message of support follows a six-and-a-half hour budget meeting last Thursday (28 February) which ended when Labour and the Greens hammered out a deal.
He said: “In addition to the £500,000 Greens won to tackle (climate change) in the council budget, through smart financing we got agreement for £7 million extra for publicly owned housing for the homeless and families in temporary accommodation – mainly the work of local councillor David Gibson.”
The “extraordinary council meeting” at Hove Town Hall this afternoon was called by the Conservatives when they became the largest party on the council.
This followed the defection of long-serving Labour councillor Anne Meadows to the Tories.
By convention, the largest party leads the council and chairs the key policy-making committees.
The Conservatives were keen to show political momentum – with a small m – swinging their way.
But with only a handful of meetings to be held before the local election campaign starts, the Greens – who hold the balance of power – seem unwilling to undercut Labour despite their longstanding rivalry.
The meeting is due to start at 4.30pm and is open to the public.
It is the mature thing to do. The council enters purdah before too long and the public doe not need things throwing up in the air for the sake of little more than a month of meetings or to reward Cllr Anne Meadows for her delf indulgent act of revenge for being deselected by Labour.
Her years in Labour no longer appear to have been sincere if she could switch Parties in a heartbeat for the promise of selection by the Tories to stand for re-election in May. What is in it for the Tories?
Well done The Greens.
I hope that after the elections, this gesture of solidarity with fellow progressives in Labour will not be forgotten.
The last thing Brighton and Hove needs is a Tory administration. A Labour-Green coalition in B&H would be welcomed by many residents I suspect.
Fingers crossed for the elections.