Lib Dems agree joint administration for a stable future for Southwark

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th May 2006

Following the local election results which returned an equal number of Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors, the Liberal Democrats have entered into a joint agreement with the Conservative Group to provide stable political leadership for Southwark over the next four years.

Both parties agreed that the Liberal Democrat administration of the last four years had made significant progress but that there is much more to be done, particularly in the areas of housing, regeneration, and leisure provision. Neither party wanted to risk a return to Labour's high taxes and poor services.

Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Nick Stanton and Conservative Leader Cllr Kim Humphreys signed the formal agreement set out below on 16th May:

The result of the council election on May 4th did not give any one political party a majority of either votes or seats on Southwark Council. The two largest parties were elected with the same number of councillors, and it is clear therefore that neither has a mandate to govern on their own for the next four years.

A great deal has changed for the better in the last 4 years - and there is common agreement that there is still more to do.

Labour ran Southwark as a one Party state for nearly 40 years. In that time local residents suffered some of the highest local taxes in London and received some of the dirtiest streets and poorest services. We do not want to risk a return to those days.

The electors of Southwark have sent the politicians a clear message, and it is our job to get on with it.

We recognise that a strong and stable political leadership is essential if the Council is to continue to improve and to meet the challenges of the next 4 years. Lurching vote by vote in the council chamber will not deliver the positive changes that people want in their community.

We are two distinct political parties and will remain so, but we have compared our manifestos and believe that we can combine around a common agenda which will bring continued improvements

We have therefore agreed to form a joint administration for the next 4 years, and are determined to deliver on the following objectives for the Borough's diverse community:

· Keep council tax rises at or below the rate of inflation over the lifetime of the joint administration

· Get more powers for Wardens to crack down on crime

· Double the vastly improved rate of recycling

· Open 3 new secondary schools and improve primary school provision in the borough

· Replace or upgrade our leisure centres

· Build 3,000 affordable homes for local people to rent or buy

Our first tasks are to ensure that the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle continues to the benefit of all, that we achieve a step change in performance in our housing service and that the Council appoints a new Chief Executive to take over from Bob Coomber.