Michael Lavalette, the recently elected independent councillor in Preston, explains how Preston Independents will provide an opposition to the Reform-led Lancashire council

The dramatic local election results in Lancashire at the start of May saw Reform obtain an overwhelming majority of seats (53 out of 84). Amidst the gloom, the return of three ‘Preston Independents’ standing on a ‘welfare not warfare’ ticket, plus four Independents from East Lancashire who stood on a Pro-Palestine basis, has meant that the ‘Independents group’ is the third largest on the council.

As it stands, the opposition groups include eight Conservatives, seven Independents, five Labour, five Liberal Democrats, four Greens and two ‘localists’ (who tend to vote with the Tories).

The potential for Reform to be the main party and the Tories the opposition is real!

Given the numbers, there have been intensive discussions between various parties over how best to coordinate opposition to Reform on the council.

Labour approached the Independents to form a group together and they demanded that they be the lead organisation as they are a ‘national party of government’. It was pointed out that seven is larger than five – but, more importantly, Preston Independents made it clear they would not go into any kind of official block with any of the three main establishment parties.

Preston Independents were clear: all three main parties (Tories, Labour and Liberal Democrats) are responsible for the years of austerity that have undermined services and created hardship for people; all three parties have supported Israel and been silent over the genocide in Gaza, and all three parties are parties of warfare over welfare.

Labour is the national government which has failed the WASPI women, cut winter fuel payments, attacked disability benefits, refused to remove the two-child benefit cap and, as the national government, continues to restrict local government funding. This week, we have also had Starmer’s disgusting attack on migrants.

At the same time, we recognise that it is important to stop the Tories from being the main opposition to Reform – especially as a significant number of Reform councillors are former Tory councillors!

To this end the Independents group have been in discussion with the Greens. Agreement has been reached that, within the council, the seven Independents and four Green councillors will form a block called ‘Progressive Lancashire’. This will be the official opposition on the council.

Each grouping within the block will maintain its own identity. Preston Independents will be free to follow their own path and make their own statements on key issues. For Preston Independents, the focus is on the Reform council locally and the Labour government nationally, which are creating the conditions that are allowing Reform to grow.

Preston Independents are happy to play a key role within ‘Progressive Lancashire’ on the council, but we will not be drawn into the minutiae of council committee workings. Our responsibility is to our communities and the social movements from where we have sprung, the council chamber, our megaphone to engage with the politics of the street.