Lib Dem-Labour deal to run South Gloucestershire Council

Cllr Boulton said voters were "holding the Conservative party to account for the disastrous policies they have imposed on us — both locally and nationally".

Outgoing Tory leader Toby Savage said his party did better locally than on a national level, where it lost more than 1,000 seats, despite losing its majority in the district on a "disappointing evening".

Cabinet members for the new administration were due to be announced following the council's annual meeting on May 24, when the new leadership was being confirmed.

Since the elections, the political groups have been holding discussions while dayto-day running of and decisionmaking for the authority has been managed by senior officers and managers.

Council chief executive Dave Perry said: “The role of officers during this period has been to ensure that the council continues to operate as it should, while supporting members in their conversations, providing, where required, legal and constitutional advice.

"Council officers are ready to brief a new administration once it is agreed by Members at the meeting on 24 May and when a new Cabinet takes up their roles."

The council's new Conservative group leader Sam Bromiley, who represents Parkwall & Warmley ward, criticised the other parties for not involving his group in discussions on the future leadership of the authority.

The former cabinet member for children and young people, who took over as Tory group leader after former council leader Toby Savage stood down at the elections, said: "We are disappointed that Labour and the Liberal Democrats have chosen to exclude the largest party from all discussions on how to run the council.

"On several occasions we have offered to meet to discuss how all residents’ views can be reflected in the new council, but each time this was met by silence."

Cllr Young said voters had clearly "had enough of the Conservatives", while

He said: “I’m encouraged that a number of colleagues have been returned in wards that might well have fallen to the opposition parties were they to be tracking the national position, which suggests that South Gloucestershire Conservatives are outperforming the Conservatives nationally.”

Election round-up:

Pages 4&5

RESULTS in Thornbury's town council elections mirrored those for South Gloucestershire Council in the town, with the Liberal Democrats topping the polls and Conservatives at the bottom.

Elections were held in three of the four wards that make up the town council - North East, North West and South wards.

In the North East ward, Lib Dem South Gloucestershire councillor Jayne Stansfield topped the poll with 730 votes, ahead of former MP and fellow Lib Dem Mark Oaten with 712 votes.

Independent Helen Ball was third with 532 votes and Green Danny Bonnett took the final seat, with 476 votes.

Two other independents, Geoffrey Kitchen and Helen Moszoro, missed out after receiving 264 and 232 votes respectively, while Franklin Owusu-Antwi, a Tory South Glos councillor who served in the cabinet before the elections, was last with 181 votes.

In Thornbury's North West ward, Lib Dems Phil O'Rourke and Chris Woodhouse topped the poll with 694 and 679 votes respectively, with independents James Murray and John Reynolds - a committee member