Council leader Irving, Labour leader Pervez, Independent leader Ward and Lib Dem leader Clarke

By James Truswell: Stoke-on-Trent Labour group leader Mohammed Pervez has said he will not make a “knee-jerk” reaction into forming a city council coalition.

The Labour group’s successful local election campaign saw their seats on the council rise from 14 to 26 of the 60 available seats.

The party now holds the most seats on the council but, like the Tories after the General Election, not enough for an outright majority.

Now the Labour group has two options – to form a coalition with another party or to rule as a minority.

Cllr Pervez told StaffsLive: “Coalition is not the only option I have got.

“A minority administration is something else we can explore or some form of an understanding with the other mainstream political parties or independents without going into a formal coalition.

“I’m not ruling out a coalition at this stage.”

The Labour group will prefer a majority in the council but if talks between Cllr Pervez and other group leaders do not go to plan they may be forced to rule as a minority.

Cllr Pervez said: “Minority administration is another option we could explore provided we have this mutual understanding from other parties to understand what they will be able to support us on and what they will not be able to support us on.”

Likely candidates for a coalition are the City Independent Group or the Conservative-Independent Alliance.

The City Independents are the second largest party and currently hold 11 seats but Leader Brian Ward does not expect his party to be involved in a coalition.

Cllr Ward told StaffsLive: “I do not honestly think we will be asked.

“We have been highly critical of the Labour party in the past with the elected mayor panel which we thought was grossly unfair and we think some bad policies came out of that.

“And for that reason alone I cannot see the Labour group asking us into a coalition.”

Cllr Pervez’s second option is the Conservative-Independent Alliance who currently hold eight seats on the council.

Council leader Ross Irving has told StaffsLive he would be happy to talk to Labour about forming a coalition.

“I would urge that as soon as they come to a coalition which hopefully will be to come into government they should open negotiations with who they would wish to govern with and if it was the conservatives then we would be quite willing to talk to them.”

Cllr Pervez has not ruled out a coalition with Liberal Democrat leader Kieran Clarke, but with just four seats the Lib Dems would not give Labour a majority.

Cllr Pervez has already ruled out approaching the BNP – although their five seats would give Labour a majority.

“I can categorically state that I will not consider any coalition with the BNP.”

A decision regarding a coalition must be reached by Thursday May 27.