UKIP enters into confidence and supply deal with Labour in Dudley

Dudley Conservatives have thrown their teddy out of the pram because the UKIP group have refused to enter into a coalition with them.

After the election the leader of the UKIP group, Cllr Paul Brothwood, ruled out a coalition with either Labour or the Conservatives. When the group met for the first time after the election they again reaffirmed their stance that there would be no coalition. Neither the Conservatives nor Labour have enough councillors to go it alone and the Conservatives approached Labour saying that they would rather go into coalition with them than work with UKIP.

The UKIP group offered both Labour and the Conservatives the same confidence and supply deal that would see the UKIP group supporting a minority administration on a case by case basis. Labour and the Conservatives both offered the same committee positions to the UKIP group and the group decided that they could work better with Labour than the hostile Conservative group.

The leader of the Conservative group, Cllr Patrick Harley, described UKIP as "absolutely gutless" for not supporting his party.