The fallout of the local elections and councillors being elected to prominent positions played out a council meeting.

How the political balance of committees at the council is calculated led to clashes at the latest meeting of the authority on September 24.

This has become particularly relevant this year as the Conservatives lost their overall majority in May and are running the authority as a minority administration.

Officers explained their calculation which resulted in the Conservatives having 40 committee seats, Reform UK holding 24, the Liberal Democrats holding nine and the Green Party six.

As the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported, typically Conservative councillors had historically been elected as chairman and vice chairman on council committees during the period they held the majority.

But this year has been different with Reform UK, Green Party and Liberal Democrat councillors now being elected to these key positions.

At the start of the debate Cllr Max McLoughlin, the leader of the Green group, said: "We need to make sure we are looking at this not through narrow personal or political advantage.

"We have to look at this as what is the best set of arrangements going into the future.

"There can be political challenges that end up falling on officers, I think we should have dialogue to resolve things."

Leader of the largest opposition group on the authority, Reform UK councillor Samantha Gethen said: "I agree – there should be something in there about group leaders coming together.

"We could get together and discuss what would happen in the event of a councillor changing groups or anything like that."

Conservative councillor James Johnson then said: "Its really important all of the leaders are part of the dialogue, especially the majority group of course because they are the majority group.

"I'm sure you'd agree Max – all leaders should be part of all dialogue at all times."

Cllr McLoughlin replied: "Your comment has been directed at me.

"I worked to convene meetings of all group leaders, I tried to organise several rounds of that.

"You can invite people to meetings, I can't be responsible for whether those people come or their conduct in them."

Conservative councillor John O'Nyons said: "I wanted to give an example of where not everybody is included in all the dialogue, all the time.

"Before the first meeting of this committee, a representative of every opposition group went out this room and had a separate meeting and chose who they were going to support for chairman and vice chairman within the meeting, 10 minutes later.

"Why weren't we invited?"

Cllr McLoughlin, the committee's vice chairman, replied: "I will not breach confidentiality of the meetings I had with the leader of your group, the leader of the council (Cllr Karen Grinsell).

"All conversations happened with all group leaders. Certain members were willing to make more reciprocal arrangements, others were unflinching.

"The insinuation and accusation is misleading and unrepresentative.

"The suggestion coming now from two members of this committee, there are insinuations being made – I refer you to the code of conduct."

Cllr O'Nyons said: "I withdraw it if I was mistaken", and Cllr Johnson added: "I'm not making any accusations of any kind".

Cllr Gethen said: "I would like to confirm what Cllr McLoughlin said – conversations were had with all leaders in a closed meeting so please no accusations."

Chairman of the committee Liberal Democrat councillor James Bradley said: "In that period following the election, there were a lot of discussions with all parties on all sides.

"There certainly was dialogue I believe was all cross party. It came to different decisions in different areas but that's how it went about."