Pendle leader faces big topics including borough mergers and Reform

Lib-Dem David Whipp was voted into the top job at Pendle Council’s annual meeting, where he announced plans for a new cross-party executive with other councillors.

It comes as Pendle Council seeks a new chief executive, is being recommended to include more people on work around a potential Lancashire-wide council shake-up and as Reform UK takes control of Lancashire County Council.

David Whipp is a Lib-Dem borough councillor for the Earby and Coates ward. But he was also elected to Lancashire County Council in this month’s local elections for the Pendle Rural division. Reform UK’s Nathan McCollum, who came second, was also elected to the county because Pendle Rural has two county councillors.

At Pendle Council’s annual meeting, various top borough roles were decided. David Whipp won the support of most councillors for the leader’s role. Currently at Pendle, there are 11 Conservatives, 10 Independents, nine Lib-Dems, two True Independents and one Reform UK councillor – newly-elected Marion Atkinson.

Speaking at the meeting, Coun Whipp said: “Can I thank the council very much for this. I hope to work in the fashion that I’ve worked for this council for the last 45 years, in an inclusive and consensual way with all parties for the benefit of the borough. ”

He chose Independent Coun Asjad Mahmood as deputy leader. The pair have worked together in past executives including with Coun Mahmood as council leader. But earlier this year, Coun Whipp resigned as deputy leader at the time over the Pendle taxi licensing and safety row.

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Now, Coun Whipp needs to form a new executive. He told the meeting: "I intend to have an executive consisting of the leader with three Independents, three Lib-Dems and one Conservative. I would have liked to include the True Independents in this arrangement. But they have stated quite forcefully they will not participate in any arrangement with the Conservatives. So I accept that.”

The Independent group and the smaller True Independents group are all former Labour councillors. They left the party over its national leadership’s stance on Gaza-Israel issues and also Labour’s disciplinary suspension and investigations of elected councillors.  The True Independents are councillors Naeem Ashraf and Yasser Iqbal, who represent Brierfield.

Recently, the council’s interim chief executive, Lawrence Conway, made recommendations. These included getting more council staff and councillors involved with plans for possible local government reorganisation in 2028. This is linked to Westminster government’s aim to create new unitary councils in Lancashire and, potentially, merge or abolish borough councils which have operated since 1974.

Separately, Reform UK’s Marion Atkinson was recently elected for the Vivary Bridge ward, which is also represented by Lib-Dem Andy Bell and Conservative Richard O’Connor.  The Vivary Bridge by-election came after former Conservative councillor Tom Ormerod resigned, after it was revealed he owed almost £4,000 in council tax and had missed dozens of borough meetings.