+++RESULTS+++NEWS+++RESULTS+++NEWS+++RESULTS+++ SOUTHAMPTON results FAREHAM results EASTLEIGH results WINCHESTER results

Click here for an Election Gallery

---

EDITOR'S CHOICE LATEST NEWS Search is on for the next Miss Southampton Boat Show FEATURES Was my husband's life only worth £275? BUSINESS BAA told sell three of seven UK airports SAINTS Poortvliet bolsters defence VOTE Following the Spanish air crash, are you more concerned about the safety of flying? Yes No GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Arrests after cyclist dies in bridge crash 2 Poortvliet bolsters defence 3 Steering the way to wedded bliss 4 TV chef was drinking before fatal smash 5 Man robbed of wallet in alleyway 6 Castle gets shot at former Amir Khan foe 7 Olympic gold medal for another Hampshire sailor 8 Don't panic, urges Svensson 9 Family grief-stricken after the murder of ‘happy and kind’ son 10 Eight-year-old gets A* maths GCSE Today | 7 Days 1 Davies completes move to Stoke 2 Young stars may leave to help balance the books 3 Mum punched in front of her kids 4 Cunard to come home to city port 5 Anger as planners pass £500m VT site scheme 6 Local businessman creates own biofuel 7 Jan seeks two signings for Saints 8 Olympic gold medal for another Hampshire sailor 9 350m container ship is docks’ biggest to date 10 Mum who plunged 100ft from tower block never got over daughter's death

Comment

Labour and Liberal Democrats seized power from the Tories in a sensational coup at February budget meeting.

Rather then waiting for this week's polls, in a pre-agreed move they ganged up to vote down the Tories' budget claiming they couldn't allow such as savage package of cuts to pass.

When the Tories refused to stand down, leader Alec Samuels was removed from office by a vote of no confidence after just nine months and following 23 years in oppostion. He was replaced by June Bridle.

Labour and Lib Dems shared out the top jobs in a "cabinet of talents" in proportion to their seats, six to four.

Cllr Bridle had only a year earlier claimed the Lib Dems' previous four years in office had been a "disaster for the city", moving backwards from "one calamity to another". But they were now ready to work together for the "stability of the city" in a two-year "convention" signed by both leaders before the meeting.

This was a new animal, Cllr Bridle said, referring the the joint administration as a "two headed-beast".

The pair had offered the Tories a last-minute chance to join the coalition but they declined.

Despite the coalition, Labour and Lib Dems insist they are waging a full-on election battle against each other.

11:52am Tuesday 29th April 2008

Print

Email this

Comment

Add your comment

Name:
Email: *
Location:
**
	e.g. 123-123
Comment: Please note: All HTML tags will be ignored. Format Text:
By posting a comment, I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms of use. Comments are not moderated but we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention and we may delete inappropriate postings. Please treat other people with respect. You must not post anything that is abusive, indecent, unlawful or defamatory. Remember, you are personally liable for what you post on this site. If you wish to complain about a comment, contact us here.
* Your email address will not be displayed ** To avoid register now or login