00:00Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has said local Conservative councillors in Birmingham
00:05could decide for themselves whether to work with ReformUK after the council elections,
00:11while insisting there will be no coalition between the two parties at national level.
00:16Speaking during a visit to Solly Hall, she said local administrations can be difficult
00:21to form and noted that Conservative councillors in different parts of the country have previously
00:27worked with parties including the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Independents.
00:32She said any decision in Birmingham would be for local leaders if they believed such an
00:36arrangement would help deliver Conservative policies.
00:40ReformUK said it did not expect any deal to be needed, saying it was standing to win control
00:46of the council.
00:47The comments come before Birmingham's local elections where Labour has led the council for
00:5214 years.
00:53With support spread across several parties and independents, the result could leave no group
00:59with overall majority, making negotiations important after polling day.
01:05Conservatives say they are fighting to win outright control.
01:09Labour's position in the city and the scale of support for smaller parties will help determine
01:14whether any coalition arithmetic becomes relevant.
01:17The Conservatives last ran Birmingham in coalition with the Liberal Democrats before Labour took
01:24power again locally.
01:25The election result will decide whether that remained realistic.
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