Bid to block the Green Party from taking over at Forest of Dean District Council

There are moves afoot to try and stop the Green Party from taking control of the Forest of Dean District Council.

The Greens had their best ever result in the Forest of Dean at the local elections on May 4 and returned 15 councillors.

They are hoping to form a “traffic light alliance” administration at Coleford by joining forces with Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

The Green Party now has 15 councillors while Labour have five and there are three Liberal Democrats. There are also 11 Independent councillors and four Conservatives on the council.

But former Progressive Independent Councillors Julia Gooch (I, Newent and Taynton) and Bernie O’Neill (I, Ruspidge) have written to all the others to try and prevent the Greens from taking control of the authority.

They are proposing to vote for another leader and their preferred option is incumbent Tim Gwilliam (I, Berry Hill)

Her email reads: “One of the first duties as a council will be to vote for the leader who will form the administration.

“I am sure all of you like us have by now been approached by the Greens with various deals that will enable them to form that administration.

“It is true that the Greens had a most successful election and as the largest group without a majority to take their desired control of the council they need to reach 20.

“However, there is another way to prevent the Greens from taking overall control and that is for at least 20 of us to agree to put forward an alternative option.

“If we were to agree to nominate and vote for one of us to lead the Green Party may lose their ambition to take control of the council and undo all the work we have in the most part been agreeable to.

“This email is not asking the parties to consider forming a coalition but to ask parties/groups to agree for the good of our residents and the district on a single issue in the same way for the good of the council.

“We obviously must respect democracy, but it is our view that the Greens gained the numbers they did, as much as what they did, [by] not telling the electorate what they did.

“We know some of you share our fears, we have closely witnessed the way the Greens work. We believe that a Green administration supported by any of our groups will do great damage across the district and to the council.

“This is what we are asking of you. Identify and agree a leader we can all vote for as being a better option than [Cllrs] Chris McFarling (G, St Briavels) or Andy Moore (G, Newnham).

“Bernie and I believe for continuity, Tim Gwilliam would be the obvious choice as he has built good relationships with councils and other organisations that are vital to the wellbeing of the council and its work.

“But we are open to other suggestions. This is not a coalition, this is not about Independents trying to keep the cabinet, it cannot be a Progressive Independent cabinet anymore, but it can be a cabinet that is not driven by Green policies that are potentially damaging and destructive.”

Cllr Gwilliam said there are discussions ongoing among the groups which he was not a part of.“If other people want to put me forward and I’m put forward, that will happen,” he said.

“Those negotiations are ongoing, it’s the horse trading week but I’m not involved with that. I have been asked about standing again to which I have said yes but it will all depend on what the numbers are.”

Conservative group leader Alan Preest (C, Lydney East) said his group is unlikely to enter into an agreement with anyone else.

He said: “At the end of the day, we are Conservatives, we’re not natural friends of any of the other political groups. Although, as individuals, I do like a lot of the people there and the Independents.

“But at the end of the day we’ve just got to continue to do the best for the people in the Forest. I’m not going to be doing any deals in smoke-filled rooms or anything like that.”

A Green Party spokesperson said the group is surprised and saddened by the attempts of a small minority of ‘Independents’ to subvert the votes and will of a huge population of the Forest of Dean.

They said: “The Green Party in the Forest of Dean was elected to do things differently and to bring change to Cabinet and local government. We are looking forward to supporting the people of the Forest in the democratic choice they made.”

The current political balance of the council is Green Party 15, Independents 11, Labour Party five, Conservative Party four and Liberal Democrats three.

All councillors are due to take part in a vote for the new leader on May 25.