Liberal Democrats have promised to hold Reform UK to account as Nigel Farage's party takes control of Warwickshire County Council for the first time.

At Friday's (May 16) AGM, Reform and the nine remaining Conservatives agreed to take control of the council, with both the chair and leader coming from Reform.

This was despite Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Jerry Roodhouse and Green leader Cllr Jonathan Chilvers balloting to lead the local authority.

The Lib Dems - who are the second biggest party on the council behind Reform - also criticised the fact new leader Cllr Rob Howard was not present at the meeting to make a statement "about the administration's priorities for communities and residents across Warwickshire nor about who will be the portfolio holders for the key areas of responsibility".

Cllr Howard has also never served on the county council before, but will begin his first term there in charge.

"The decisions at the AGM result in a minority administration taking no account of the different values and principles that other political parties stand for," said Cllr Roodhouse.

"Liberal Democrats will work to hold the new administration to account and bring forward our own proposals so that all communities and residents in Warwickshire have an equal opportunity to develop and to prosper in an environmentally sustainable and inclusive way."

While the Conservatives have helped form the new administration, new Tory leader Cllr Adrian Warwick told the Local Democracy Reporting Service his group would likewise hold Reform to account.

"My party will be extremely clear. Reform form the administration, they made many promises during the election and we will hold them to account," he said.

"It is now their chance to show whether they can do it or possibly find it a lot more difficult than they might have expected." 

Meanwhile the Greens made their stance very clear during Friday's meeting.

"With an absent group leader and equally absent policies, how will Warwickshire Reform councillors run the council?" Cllr Will Roberts said.

"Will Nigel Farage be pulling the strings, ordering every move with rhetoric from above?

"Stop the boats, cancel net zero and sack the staff, or do we believe what some Reform councillors said on the campaign trail? In Leamington, the Reform candidate said he wanted to remove the rainbow crossing we have.

"Until we know who Reform Warwickshire are, we are left in doubt."