Labour have now taken charge on Wolverhampton Council after a Lib Dem councillor sided with them in a No Confidence vote on the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition that had been running the council.
Frankly I think the Conservative leader, Cllr Neville Patten, did well to hold it together for as long as he did. Back in September it looked as if it would collapse after the unreliable behaviour of Cllr Claire Darke. She now sits as an "independent" Lib Dem and the minority Labour administration is beholden to her for her vote. But they may find her unreliable as well. She resigned from the Council's Cabinet as a "moral issue" on September 10 – it was a byelection defeat on July 29.
She also opposed the Conservative/Lib Dem council administration because she was against spending cuts. But there will be spending cuts anyway. Wolverhampton's Formula Grant is being cut by £16 million next year. They could just put up the Council Tax by 20% – but they won't.
I think it would be more responsible to let Labour attempt to get on with running the City as best they can than use Cllr Darke to bring another change of administration at the next Council meeting.
By the way what is the basis of Cllr Darke sitting as an "independent" Lib Dem councillor while being allow to remain a paid up Party member? Should her Party not kick her out? Are the colleagues whom she has betrayed expected to mingle with her at Lentil Soup constituency fund raising events?