THE CONSERVATIVES lost their one-seat majority in Pendle.

With its political balance on a knife-edge before voters went to the polls on May 2, the Tories lost their slimmest of majorities.

Prior to the poll, which saw 17 of the 20 wards up for election between 49 candidates, predicting who will come out on top was nigh on impossible. And so it proved as the balance of power in the borough is now split as the Tories hold 23 seats while Labour has 16 and the Lib Dems have 10.

An alliance between Labour and the Lib Dems would see control swing away from the Conservatives, whose group leader Paul White stepped down this year.

And former Conservative group leader Joe Cooney lost his Vivary Bridge seat to Liberal Democrat David Clegg.

The Lib Dems now hold the balance of power – as they did until a year ago when part of a joint administration with Labour.

Their leader Cllr David Whipp has said withdrawing from talks about the proposed Pennine Lancashire ‘unitary’ Council would be a pre-condition to support Labour or Tories.