Lib Dem, Labour, and Independent coalition to run Cambridgeshire County Council after Conservatives lose control
The Conservatives are the largest individual party, but the cross-party coalition will take control.
Updated
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha signing the agreement to run the council in a joint administration involving Liberal Democrat, Labour and Independent Group. Watched by Cllr Tom Sanderson, Cllr Lorna Dupre, Cllr Richard Howitt and Cllr Elisa Meschini (Image: Cambridge News)
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Labour councillor Jocelynne Scutt put forward the motion, and said: “We must adopt this motion if we are to treat all of our workers fairly”.
“There will be Cambridgeshire County Council workers who are visitors to food banks. Some of our employees are food insecure. That it is our obligation to acknowledge,” she said, adding “all workers should be paid a wage that meets everyone’s everyday needs”.
Conservative councillor Josh Schumann was one of a number of councillors who argued against the commitment.
Cllr Schumann said an “impartial” briefing note provided by council officers said: “If the council were to become a real living wage employer we would have to sign up to any future pay increases that are yet unknown”.
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“Excuse me, what was that?” she replied. “Somebody just called you thick,” another councillor chimed in, “perhaps because they had forgotten to mute themselves”.
The chair of the meeting said he was not aware of who made the remark, but that it was “obviously not appropriate”.
It was suggested that whoever it was should apologise, which drew no response from Cllr Sharp, who was safely back on mute.
In April, Lib Dem county councillor Ian Manning apologised after beginning a one-day “solidarity” Ramadan fast by posting a picture of his breakfast plate of bacon on social media.
Cllr Manning said he was “tired and not thinking clearly” when he posted the image. “My main worry was that I’d let my friends and the Muslim organisers of LibDemIftar down – but they didn’t see what the fuss was about as I’m not Muslim,” he said.