Defeated Lib Dem Leader in Hull blames 'cuts agenda'

After five years as the high profile leader of Hull City Council, Carl Minns lost his own seat and was dumped out of office in a truly disastrous election for the Liberal Democrats.

Carl Minns

The scale of the Liberal Democrat meltdown in Hull was clear for all to see. Of the twelve seats being defended by the Lib Dems, Labour won ten, making them the largest party by a sizeable margin.

Following his defeat, Carl Minns told me he was frustrated that the debate over spending cuts had overshadowed other aspects of government policy.

He said: "The Government has been dreadful at developing any narrative outside the cuts agenda and a lot of positive polices that benefit people in northern cities have been lost in the white noise."

Elsewhere in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire - Labour gained Lincoln from no overall control, but lost North Lincolnshire to the Conservatives, prompting tears of joy from jubilant Tories.

Meanwhile it was the end of the road for the Boston Bypass Independent group, which lost power to the Conservatives - four years after they elected to deliver a bypass to the Lincolnshire town.

But the headlines were dominated by the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in Hull and a council leader forced to look for alternative employment.