THE new ‘progressive alliance’ - which has been endorsed with a majority of just one - was attacked by a former MP, who claimed even members of the ruling Liberal Democrats, Labour and Highwoods groups are secretly not happy with the deal.

Speaking in the minutes before the parties’ plans were voted on by the full council today, Sir Bob Russell called for a secret ballot to be held on the coalition’s blueprint.

He claimed if a secret ballot - rather than a publicly named one - were to take place, the coalition’s plans would be rejected.

It comes after the Conservatives gained two seats in the borough elections earlier this month.

The result leaves the Tories as the largest group on the council, with 25 seats, but one seat short of an overall majority.

Speaking during the meeting’s have your say session, Sir Bob said: “Politics gets in the way.

“I spent half a century with an interest in this authority and sat on this council for 30 years when the committee system was in use.

“There were 60 councillors at the time and all 60 had an influence over how the council made decisions.

“Now we have 51 and all of them have equal merit.

“All of them are elected by residents to represent the borough. No one councillor has a greater merit than any other.

He added: “We are talking here about cabinet ‘power’.

“We should be talking about service; service to the people of the borough.

“That is why politics gets in the way sometimes.”

Speaking about the coalition’s plan to exclude the Conservative group, Sir Bob added: “There are those of the 51 here who will not agree with what is about to be put to you.

“In fact, a majority of people here do not agree.”

Sir Bob then urged members to vote on the endorsing the ‘progressive alliance’ using their “personal conscience”.

He added: “I believe a secret ballot may well result in a different outcome.”

The new cabinet, which was supported by 25 votes to 24 - with the mayor and deputy mayor abstaining - will be led by 31-year-old Lib Dem Mark Cory.

Labour’s Tim Young will be deputy leader and will be joined by Mike Lilley, Tina Bourne (both Lab), Martin Goss, David King, Nick Barlow (all Lib Dem) and Highwoods Independent Beverley Oxford.

Meanwhile, leader Mr Cory attacked the Conservative group, accusing them of being “childish” by blocking the ruling parties’ nominations for chairmen and deputy chairmen of the key licensing, local plan and planning council committees.

Each of those committees are made up of ten members: five Conservative, two Lib Dem, two Labour and one Highwoods Independent.

The move lead to “deadlock” votes on who would lead each committee and Andrew Weavers, Colchester Council monitoring officer, told members a decision would have the be reached at the beginning of the first meeting of each committee.