22-05-2025
Worcestershire: Reform UK takes over leadership of county council
Reform UK has taken over the leadership of Worcestershire County Council for the first time, following its success in the local a meeting on Thursday, party leader Joanne Monk was sworn in as council leader, and she went on to announce a new cabinet of Reform council has no overall majority, after Reform UK won 27 seats - two short of securing an overall majority of opposition groups combined to pick newly elected Green councillor Louis Stephen as the council's chair, as well as secure a raft of other appointments.
Casting vote
One new Reform councillor, Bromsgrove South member Gaynor Jean-Louis, did not attend the meeting and sent her the party failed to elect another of its councillors, Roger Bennett, as council chair. All 30 opposition councillors voted against his Stephen was chosen with the support of votes from the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and the council's two the county in no overall control, the role's casting vote could be crucial in big decisions over the coming years.
In her first interview as council leader, Ms Monk confirmed her party would look to run the council as a minority move will allow Reform to pass key decisions on a vote-by-vote basis, providing the party can secure at least two extra votes or abstentions from other the new administration now faces the risk of the council's opposition parties working together to veto key decisions such as the annual budget or to push through their own in the meeting, Conservative, Green, Liberal Democrat, Labour and independent councillors worked together to secure a number of scrutiny positions on council committees.
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