Labour and Greens form agreement to run Sheffield City Council
Talks end with new Green and Labour 'co-operative administration', but the Liberal Democrats decline to take part.
Councillors Grocutt (rear right), Teal (rear left), Fox (front right) and Johnson (front left) with the agreement.
Sheffield City Council.Labour and Green Party councillors on Sheffield City Council have reached an agreement to form a 'co-operative administration'.
The Liberal Democrat group took part in negotiations following 6 May's local election, but declined to join the administration.
Labour and the Greens say the door is open for them to join at a later date.
“We are delighted to announce this agreement today which represents a new era of politics in our city," said Labour group leader Terry Fox, who will be Leader of the Council.
"Our priority is to put Sheffield first and party politics aside."
No party has an overall majority on Sheffield City Council since the local elections on 6 May, after Labour lost eight seats. The Greens gained five seats, the Lib Dems three seats, and the Conservatives won their first seat in the city since 2007.
Labour's Julie Grocutt will remain as Deputy Leader, and Paul Wood will keep the housing brief.
The Green's Alison Teal is the new Cabinet Member for Sustainable Neighbourhoods, Wellbeing, Parks and Leisure, and group leader Douglas Johnson takes Climate Change, Environment and Transport.
💚 Our priority since the local election results has been to put people and planet before party politics.
— Sheffield Green Party (@SheffieldGreens) May 19, 2021
🗣️ We have to design a new committee system, involving residents along the way.
🌍 We also have to take real and meaningful action on the climate and environmental crisis.
“I don’t underestimate the personal, as well as political, challenge of working with the Labour group, considering my history in opposition," said Cllr Teal.
"However, we are facing unprecedented circumstances which demand new ways of working. We must cooperate with other parties in the best interests of residents, the city, and the environment."
Yesterday, campaigners with the thinktank Compass wrote an open letter to all three local party leaders calling on them to form a 'progressive alliance' in Sheffield.
The full Sheffield City Council cabinet is as follows:
Leader
Terry Fox (Labour)
Deputy Leader
Julie Grocutt (Labour)
Finance
Cate McDonald (Labour)
Housing, Roads & Waste Management
Paul Wood (Labour)
Sustainable Neighbourhoods, Wellbeing, Parks & Leisure
Alison Teal (Green)
Climate Change, Environment & Transport
Douglas Johnson (Green)
Inclusive Economy, Jobs & Skills
Paul Turpin (Green)
City Futures, Development, Culture & Regeneration
Mazher Iqbal (Labour)
Education, Children & Families
Jayne Dunn (Labour)
Health & Social Care
George Lindars-Hammond (Labour)
