The borough election results saw big swings to Labour in terms of total seats and councils controlled along with consolidations in both Labour and Tory strongholds. But two boroughs were left with no overall control. In one of these, Redbridge, the leaders of the 30 Conservatives and seven remaining Liberal Democrats have been "locked in talks" about forming a coalition to trump the 26 Labour councillors. Is a Cleggeron new dawn breaking in Ilford?
By contrast, in Merton recent parliamentary precedent has been defied with the 28-strong Labour group forming an alliance with three significant "others" to take control. Those "others" are independent Residents Association councillors representing the Merton Park ward, who won their seats by substantial margins and hold the balance of power.
It's all very delicately poised. The combined Labour and Residents councillors outnumber the combined Tories (27 seats) and Liberal Democrats (two) by 31 to 29. This means, at least in theory, that if just one of the Residents opted out of the deal with Labour, the authority could become split 30-30. However, I'm not sure how cordial Con-Lib relations are, given that two of the Tories' three losses were to that pair of Lib Dems - a rare bright spot on a bleak night for Clegg's councillors in the capital.
It appears that for now Merton's Conservatives must learn to live with their narrow defeat and hope to make gains in any future by-elections. Meanwhile, Merton's Labour group leader Stephen Alambritis has professed himself "delighted" to have taken the reins from the Tories in this most firmly marginal of London boroughs. For how long will his happiness endure?
Update, 16:47 Stephen Alambritis has called with further details about the fascinating politics of Merton. He and his fellow Labour councillors are indeed allied with the Residents insofar as he anticipates their support for him, as leader of the largest group, becoming council leader and also their future backing on the crucial issue of the budget. However, the Residents will vote for a Conservative to become mayor, and it is he or she who would have the casting vote should that 30-30 situation discussed above ever come to pass.
This, Alambritis explained, is exactly the equal and opposite of the Residents' position under the previous administration when the Tories formed the largest group. He also says that my supposition about relations between the Tories and the Lib Dems is correct - the latter are not joining forces with the former.
