THREE months ago Berry Hill councillor Tim Gwilliam appeared to be heading into the political wilderness after leaving the Labour Party.

But after one of the most extraordinary nights in local politics, the Forest First leader is the political head of the Forest Council with a ’rainbow’ Cabinet that includes the Greens, UKIP and an independent.

The new Cabinet says one of its main priorities will be to address what it sees as the ’disconnect’ between the council and local people.

Cllr Gwilliam said: “What we can change initially is the approach – there has been a feeling that things tended to be done unto people rather than for them and including them.

“We can show people that if we include them in what we are trying to do, which is serving the people, and allow them a part in running this council we can take a lot of goodwill with us.”

The new approach will start at 10.30am on Saturday (July 22) with the first of a series of ’meet and greets’ in Cinderford with members of the Cabinet talking directly to traders and members of the public.

An extraordinary series of events at last Thursday’s full council meeting led to the election of the leader of the four-strong Forest First group with the backing of just 13 of the 48 members of the council.

It started with a report on changes to reducing the number of councillors but last-minute amendments by the Conservative administration undermined cross-party agreement.

That led to a vote of no confidence in leader Cllr Patrick Molyneux (Con, Woolaston and Hewelsfield) which he lost.

Labour backed Tory councillor Carole Allaway Martin for the leadership but she declined and with Labour not putting forward a candidate, that left Cllr Gwilliam as the last man standing.

Cllr Richard Leppington, the new Cabinet member for development told the Review: “We stepped into the breach when others dropped this authority in it.”

Forest First Cabinet member for communities Cllr Paul Hiett (Bream) said they recognised that the political arithmetic made the new administration vulnerable.

He said: “We are under no illusions that at some point the other parties will get their acts together.

“All the stars aligned for us on Thursday and we are not going to pass up the opportunity, we really want to make a difference.

“The way this council works will be drastically different in six months in how we communicate and interact with the public and in terms of transparency and openness.”

Cllr Gwilliam said he had approached Conservatives and Labour with offers of places on the Cabinet.

Labour say party rules forbid creating minority administrations or going into coalition with other parties although group leader Cllr Di Martin said they will take a full role in the council.

The Conservatives remain the largest single party on the council.

In a statement, Cllr Molyneux said: “I would personally like to thank the residents who elected me to council back in 2007 and the members who have supported me as leader over the past six years.

 

“I strongly believe that under my leadership the council has evolved for the better and is in a stronger position than ever to concentrate on the issues that matter most to our residents.

“I wish Cllr Gwilliam the best of luck in his new role as leader.”