Lib Dems will run city despite losing majority

The Liberal Democrats will continue to run Hull City Council despite losing their overall majority in the election earlier this month.

The party lost two seats, cutting the number of their councillors to 26, two below the number needed for control.

Labour, which has the second largest number of seats with 16, decided not to oppose the re-election of Mike Ross as leader of the authority at a full council meeting on Thursday.

After the vote, Ross said there would be some change to how things worked in the council to "reflect the fact there's a new political make-up".

"But it's a Liberal Democrat leader, Liberal Democrat deputy leader of the council, a Liberal Democrat cabinet and it's those Liberal Democrats that are going to work hard for the people of Hull," he added.

Reform UK, who gained their first seats on the authority, will have 10 councillors.

Party leader Richard Kelly said the vote reflected that "people want change".

"I'm here because the people voted for me," he said.

"All our candidates here, they're all good, hard-working people and they're here for a reason."

Independent candidates hold the remaining five seats in the council chamber.

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