[Gayle]

I don't think anyone comes out of this in a good light. When it all boils down to it, the Tories have 17 seats and Labour only 14. Yes, they can up that to 17 by scratching around to get the independent's votes, but at the end of the day that means that everyone is selling their soul for something. The Tories have the most seats and therefore, morally they should be allowed to form the council - isn't that the argument that everyone, including a lot of Labour MPs (our own newly elected MP Graham Jones as well) were saying about the national situation?

There are 4 independents on the council - one was voted in as Conservative and is now siding with Labour, one was first voted in as Labour then fell out with them so was then voted in as an Independent but is still happy to side with Labour when it comes to this vote and one was voted in as a LibDem, went over to Labour, then became Independent and is now seemingly happy to side with the Tories. The people who voted for these Independents didn't vote for for either Labour or Conservative so are now being short changed by these allegiences.

I think it also proves, what we suspected all along, that it is near impossible for one person to be a Councillor, County Councillor AND MP!!! Far too many demands on your time.

As for the argument raging on here - well that doesn't really make either party look good in my opinion - if you were my children and you were bickering like this I'd have sent you to your rooms.