The Green Party will bide its time over what part it plays in Warwickshire County Council's new set-up after an election that left everything up in the air. 

Reform UK stole the headlines by taking 23 seats to become the biggest party but the Greens made significant progress, adding four seats to the three they successfully defended to relegate Labour to fifth at Shire Hall. 

Group leader Jonathan Chilvers (Leamington Brunswick), Will Roberts (Leamington Willes) and Tracey Drew (Kenilworth Park Hill) all got back in with healthy majorities, while Sam Jones bucked the county-wide trend by storming past Reform's David Norris – a former Conservative district councillor – in Warwick North.

Mark Stevens edged past Tory Richard Hales in Lapworth & West Kenilworth and Nicki Scott raced away with Warwick South.

The other Green to get in proved to be the only non-Reform winner in Nuneaton & Bedworth, Keith Kondakor reclaiming his old seat in Weddington. 

Cllr Chilvers said: "We are grateful to everyone who turned out to vote in the elections and are happy to have more than doubled our seats. 

"I think it shows that when people elect a Green councillor, they like what they see. They know they will get someone who works hard and stands up for their area all year round and that is why we have seen the increase that we have." 

As for the future, he was coy on what comes next.

"For us it will be about the priorities that people want to see," he said. 

"That means the ability to make safer journeys to work and school, getting better solutions on things like care and getting the right people around the table to solve the crisis that we have with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

"We will align with the parties that share our values and as Greens, any decisions will be taken through a consensus.

"Even though I am leader we will discuss what comes next, it won't be a top-down approach and we need to have that conversation with Green councillors – new and old – to decide how we go forward."