A LABOUR-LED coalition is now in charge of the Vale council after gaining support from the former Conservative leader and cabinet.

Former leader, Cllr Neil Moore is now back at the council top seat after a coalition between Labour, Llantwit First Independents, and The Vale Independents – eight former Conservative councillors including outgoing leader Cllr John Thomas and his cabinet – was voted in, at the Civic Offices, on Monday, May 20.

The coalition has also announced who will be taking key leadership decisions on the council’s ruling body.

Cllr Moore, who led the authority for five years, from 2012 to 2017, said his new administration would protect the most vulnerable people who rely on the council’s services.

He said proposals such as new parking charges in the Vale’s town centres will be revisited.

Cllr Moore told the Vale council’s AGM: “We will have to take some hard decisions and those decisions will have to be made for the many, not the few.

“We must remember we are there for the most vulnerable members of society who on our services. We must protect them at all costs.”

Two former cabinet members who served the previous Labour administration return to the Vale council’s ruling body – Cllr Lis Burnett as the new deputy leader and cabinet member for education and regeneration, and Cllr Peter King returns as cabinet member for neighbourhood services and transport.

Cllr Neil Moore (Labour) is the executive leader and cabinet member for performance and resources; and Cllr Lis Burnett (Labour) the deputy leader and cabinet member for education and regeneration.

Joining them are Cllr Eddie Williams (Llantwit First)- cabinet member for legal and regulatory and planning services; Cllr Margaret Wilkinson (Labour) – cabinet member for housing and building services; Cllr Ben Gray (Vale Independents) – cabinet member for social care and health; Cllr Kathryn McCaffer (Vale Independents) – cabinet member for leisure, arts and culture;

and Cllr Peter King (Labour) – cabinet member for neighbourhood services and transport.

The Conservatives, under new leader Cllr Vincent Bailey, had put forward a manifesto for a minority administration.

Plaid Cymru opposition councillor Ian Johnson was also put forward for the leadership of the council.

Twenty-six were gained by Cllr Moore, 14 went to Cllr Bailey, three for Cllr Johnson and two abstentions.

Cllr Bailey had pledged the Conservatives would revisit the proposed parking charges, protect rural schools, deliver the Dinas Powys Bypass between Cardiff and Barry, review the council’s local development plan and keep council tax hikes down.

In comments directed to the new Vale Independents, he said: “I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that I would look across the chamber to a Labour group and see it working hand in hand with centuries of accumulated Conservative party membership.

“I hope that if we are unsuccessful this evening, that Cllr Moore will have greater success than I have had in persuading my former colleagues of the virtues of policies that until a few days ago at least I felt sure that we shared common cause.”