MK City Council announce Lib Dems and Labour to form partnership to lead council

Milton Keynes City Council has confirmed that a coalition of the local Liberal Democrats and Labour parties will run the council.

The partnership is made of the two parties that were the largest after the local elections earlier this month, with the Lib Dems being the council’s largest party with 20 councillors and Labour being second largest with 19. The joint 39 seats is more than half of the 60 that now make up Milton Keynes City Council following boundary changes.

Before the election, MK City Council had been run by a slim Labour majority. That majority had been the first time in 18 years a single party had overall control of the council, which had been under no overall control between 2006 and 2024.

An Annual General Meeting of the City Council last night (20/05) confirmed the new arrangement, with Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Jane Carr taking the role as the new Leader of MK City Council.

She replaces Pete Marland, who was the city council’s previous leader for 12 years and who opted to step down.

Cllr Carr said, “It’s a huge honour to be elected to lead Milton Keynes City Council. Milton Keynes is a special place with so much going for it, and I’m proud to serve our communities. I would like to thank Pete Marland for his leadership and the work he has done for our city.

“As we look to the future, we’re committed to listening and caring about the things that matter to residents, big or small. Milton Keynes is a proud and diverse community, and we’re ambitious for our city.

“One of our key priorities as an administration will be to deliver a city-wide Mental Health Strategy, bringing together local organisations and partners to ensure people can access support when they need it.

“We’ll continue to support families, tackle inequalities, improve safety in our neighbourhoods, and protect the environment, while making sure vulnerable people get the extra help they need. Together we can continue to build a city that feels safe, welcoming and respectful. We want to build on the success of Milton Keynes by bringing communities together, creating homes and jobs for local people, supporting those who need it most, including carers and pensioners, and ensuring young people have real opportunities for the future.”

The new arrangement will see MK Labour’s new leader Cllr Lauren Townsend appointed as the Deputy Leader.