Rainbow coalition to lead West Sussex County Council

A rainbow coalition has been formed to run West Sussex County Council after no party achieved a majority in local elections.

A partnership of the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, Labour, and an independent councillor assumed leadership of the authority at a meeting on Friday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Conservatives lost control of West Sussex County Council for the first time since 1997 after voting on 7 May.

Reform UK and the Lib Dems each won 23 seats, tied as the largest parties but leaving neither with a majority.

Lib Dem councillor Jay Mercer, who will lead the council, said the administration would "value the input of every single member who wants to see West Sussex thrive".

"We have an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate that collaboration delivers better outcomes than conflict," he said.

The Greens won seven seat, Labour won five, and independent councillor Donna Johnson, who will chair the council, retained her seat.

The Conservatives were left with 11 seats.

Councillors' terms are unlikely to run the full four years due to local government reorganisation, which will see Sussex councils replaced with unitary authorities from 2028.

Mercer said: "The financial pressures on local government across the country are steep and the path toward reorganisation will demand our absolute best."

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