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Chief executives are being left to pick up the pieces as councils grapple with the electoral arithmetic thrown up by the elections.Kirklees Council chief Steve Mawson has taken interim charge of the council until at least 15 July, when a third attempt will be made to elect a leader and cabinet. Reform UK holds 29 out of 69 seats but, along with the Greens, failed to win control following votes at separate meetings during the past two weeks.A council spokesperson said Mawson will take decisions necessary to ‘maintain the safe and lawful operation of the council' in consultation with leaders of the council's political groups.In Oldham, where council leader Arooj Shah stood down after Labour lost overall control, the council's annual meeting was adjourned on 20 May and will reconvene on 15 June.Until then, chief executive Shelley Kipling will decide on day-to-day matters using delegated powers. A council spokesperson said no policy or budget changes will be made during this period. Last month's elections left a record number of councils in England without any party in overall control. While some minority administrations are being formed with the tacit support of rival parties, other councils remain in political limbo.Chief executive of think-tank Localis, Jonathan Werran, said the political stalemate at some local authorities risked creating governance difficulties, particularly where large numbers of councillors were elected for the first time.He said: ‘Officers will have to intervene more and keep day-to-day services running as well as having an eye on things like budget setting.'Colchester City Council is without a leader or cabinet after Lib Dem David King and Conservative Paul Dundas both failed to gain sufficient support. The parties are reported to be in talks ahead of a further meeting this week.Chair of the Association of Local Authority Chief Executives, Tracey Lee, said that where chief executives needed to discharge executive powers this was being done in a ‘sensitive' way in line with council constitutions. Emeritus professor at York University, Colin Mellors, said council chiefs will need to act as ‘adroit and nimble politicians' with a small p until councillors decided on long-term solutions.Minority administrations are in control of other councils after parties joined forces over local issues. In Enfield, Green councillors backed Conservative Alessandro Georgiou as leader, allowing the council to withdraw support for a government New Town.Reform UK took charge of Norfolk CC after councillors from Great Yarmouth First, an offshoot of Restore Britain, abstained and allowed Reform's David Bick to become council leader. Both parties oppose net zero policies at county level.Councillors in Birmingham will have their first opportunity to elect a new leader and cabinet at the annual meeting tomorrow. The elections left Reform as the largest party but needing the support of at least two others for a majority.On Monday, Martin Abrams was elected as Lambeth's first Green council leader with backing from Lib Dems, who want to revert to a committee system rather than cabinet model. Greens took all cabinet posts.At Redditch DC, the Conservatives took control with the backing of Reform, even though the Tories have just four councillors. Leader Matt Dormer promised continuity over local government reorganisation but said the council was aiming to 'get things moving and get things sorted' locally.

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POLITICS

Chiefs take charge

By By Neil Merrick | 04 June 2026

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