The issue of whether Herefordshire’s political parties should aim to work together to run the county has emerged as a major dividing line in the run-up to local elections in two weeks’ time.

Coun Terry James, leader of the county’s Liberal Democrats and a former leader of the council, dismissed the idea, saying: “We are all fighting individual elections, we can't work with some parties who have policies that are alien to what we believe in.”

For candidates to approach the election with the intention of collaborating with other parties was “hypocritical, and dishonest to the public”, he said.

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The LibDems, who are standing in all 53 Herefordshire wards, “will only do what we stand for, which is improving infrastructure and sorting out the financial mess the county is in”, he added.

The party would still consider working with others on an “issue-by-issue” basis – but is “confident” it will not need to do so, Coun James said.

This is in marked contrast to views of the other parties expressed at a hustings in Hereford last Thursday (April 13), organised by Hereford Civic Society.

Green Party leader in the county Coun Ellie Chowns told the meeting: “There is obviously a lot of common ground between us and [current coalition partner] the Independents for Herefordshire, and I imagine also with Labour, and with many members of the LibDems who seem to be an extraordinarily broad church.”

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She on the issue of addressing pollution in the river Wye in particular, “we will only get there by working collaboratively”.

Independents for Herefordshire group leader Coun John Harrington agreed, saying: “To save the river, we need to get everyone to agree to start making the changes that are needed to sewage and agriculture.”

“I would work with anyone of any party who was decent, collaborative and progressive,” he said. “I would rather, if it didn't defeat democracy, that we all work together.”

Labour’s policy officer and Newton Farm ward candidate Joe Emmett said: “With 14 of us standing we can’t become the new administration, but we will look at [the result] and see how it works out.” He added there was “a massive overlap” between Labour and the current coalition parties.

For the Conservatives, Coun Paul Rone said: “My colleagues will work with anyone reasonable, but that depends on how much give-and-take there is.”

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