Green revolution sweeps across the South West

The South West witnessed a Green revolution on local council election night.

The Green Party is beginning talks to form an administration in Bristol after winning its biggest ever group of councillors in the city.

The party now has 34 of the 70 seats available on Bristol City Council (BCC), with Labour on 21, after losing three councillors.

The Liberal Democrats have the same number of councillors as before the local election – eight – and the Conservatives saw their numbers cut in half to seven.

The Labour Party had been in power of Bristol since 2016 – with Marvin Rees as mayor – before a public referendum saw the position scrapped.

And in Stroud the Greens also become the largest party on the district council.

Stroud District Council has once again no overall control following Thursday’s local election.

The Green Party became the largest party in the district council for the first time  but fell short of taking full control with 22 seats.

Labour has 20, Conservatives seven and Liberal Democrats two.

The Green Party’s Catherine Braun said she was “delighted” and would “be prepared to continue as council leader”.

She said they had always worked “collaboratively with other parties so that’s what we want to continue to do”.

Conservative Lindsay Green said the party’s performance was “disappointing” but not surprising.

Labour increased its number of district councillors from four to 20 and took a number of seats from the Conservatives, which reduced from 19 to seven.

She said: “I don’t think it’s surprising a lot of people with the national picture.

“I think people all across the district and across the country are very disillusioned with politics”.

In what was a grim night for the Conservatives the party lost control of Gloucester City Council as the Liberal Democrats become the biggest party.

The council has ended up with no party gaining enough of a majority to take overall control.

The Liberal Democrats ended the day with 17 seats with the Conservatives second at 11.

Labour have seven seats while independent councillors have four seats.

One who could not serve beyond this election was the council’s Conservative leader Richard Cook.

He stood down following treatment for cancer.

Mr Cook said he was proud of the regeneration projects underway around the city centre.

The last time the city council went to the polls, Labour were reduced to just three councillors.

And the Liberal Democrats retained control of Cheltenham Borough Council.

The Conservatives lost all of their five seats, while the Greens have gained one.

A former Conservative councillor who lost his seat said the result was “disappointing” but “not surprising” for his party.

Conservative Matt Babbage said: “Although we want to stress it’s local elections and about issues that can be done on the council, it’s impossible not to separate in the minds of people, the national side from that.”

The Conservative group leader on the council, Tim Harman lost his seat after 12 years as a councillor

Liberal democrat Victoria Atherstone said she was “relieved, thrilled and delighted” to have kept her seat.

She said the local Conservative losses were sending a national message.

“Historical Conservative voters are getting a bit fed up,” she added.

“I imagine it’s going to be quite tough here in Cheltenham for them to retain their seats.”

One of the worst results in the region for the Conservatives was in Dorset where the Liberal Democrats took control of the council.