Cllr Sarah King has warned of the instability that will follow a new agreement between the Southwark Liberal Democrats and the Southwark Green Party.
The Liberal Democrats, a fading force in Southwark, lost 5% of their vote share in May’s elections, falling to just 16%. Yet they are expected to now form part of the new cabinet as well as key positions across the council.
The electorate in Southwark voted Labour as the largest party in the local elections, giving Labour the most votes and the most seats on the council. Yet the will of the people has been shut down by the two smallest parties.
The two smaller parties have chosen to stitch together a narrow coalition driven more by political opportunism than the long-term interests of the borough, with a majority of just two councillors. This means absentees from either group in the coalition could mean the administration would be unable to vote through key decisions.
Green councillors have already resigned in other boroughs across London. There are two by-elections in neighbouring Lambeth where Green candidates have not taken up their roles as councillors.
Reacting to the news of the unstable coalition, Cllr Sarah King said:
“More residents voted for Labour than any other party. They did not vote for the two smallest parties to subvert democracy in this way.
Southwark Council is facing challenging times with a tough financial outlook and a housing department that is just beginning to turn the tide on repairs and safety following Labour’s Good Landlord Plan.
We’ve seen the Lib Dems in coalition nationally and we know what it means for our communities: broken promises and budget cuts.
Meanwhile the Green Party’s unrealistic manifesto proposals will create real instability in the borough and are an insult to the thousands of voters who supported Southwark Labour.”
