Three Rivers council shakeup after Lib Dem by-election blow

While the Lib Dems continue to run the council, they are now a minority administration – and have lost their majority on each committee. It means they no longer have enough votes on the committees to pass policy on their own.

The Lib Dems had won a majority of three in May’s local elections, with 21 of the 39 seats on the council.

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But that was eroded when Matthew Bedford – previously Deputy Leader of the Council – resigned in July for “personal reasons” and his wife, Cllr Sara Bedford (Abbots Langley and Bedmond), resigned from the Lib Dems on the district council to sit as an independent councillor.

Mr Bedford’s former seat in Abbots Langley and Bedmond ward was won by the Conservative candidate Vicky Edwards in a by-election last month.

(Image: LDR Service/Will Durrant)

It means the combined total of Conservative (12), Labour (3), Green (3) and Independent (2) councillors exceeds the number of Liberal Democrat councillors.

That led to an extraordinary council meeting being called for yesterday (Monday, September 9), at which the committee changes were sped through in twenty minutes.

As a result, the Conservatives will have more representatives on the Planning and Policy and Resources committees, as well as the Constitution, Local Plan and Equality Sub Committees.

Three Rivers Conservatives. (Image: Three Rivers Conservatives.)The number of Green and Labour representatives on the Policy and Resources Committee has also increased, with the same two parties now being represented on the Council Tax Setting Committee too.

But the council’s Conservative group, led by Cllr Oliver Cooper (Chorleywood North & Sarratt), abstained rather than vote through the appointments for council leader, deputy leader, and lead members.

Cllr Cooper and his Conservative colleague Cllr Ciaran Reed (Chorleywood North & Sarratt) criticised the council for maintaining seven lead members in addition to the Leader of the Council.

Cllr Cooper said the situation is “not good for democracy” and “not good for taxpayers”, while Cllr Reed described it as “ludicrous”.

Cllr Oliver Cooper. (Image: Three Rivers District Council)

Cllr Reed continued: “It has been a political choice, year after year, for the Liberal Democrat group to pay almost 40 per cent of those members twice the amount most of the rest of us get – because they could. And they’re now seeing the consequences of it.”

Last year, all councillors received a basic allowance of £5,460. Lead members received an additional £5,460, and the Leader of the Council received an additional £10,920.

Cllr Keith Martin (LD, Oxhey Hall and Hayling), chairing the meeting, said the issue was one for a constitutional committee, not an extraordinary council meeting.

Cllr Stephen Giles Medhurst. (Image: Three Rivers District Council)

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst (LD, Leavesden), Leader of the Council, noted the number of lead members was unchanged from previous years and said changes would not be made “on the back of a cigarette packet”.

The Constitution Sub Committee has not met since September 2023, with the next meeting scheduled for October.