Labour regained Doncaster Council, which had been hung since 2004, prompting suggestions that the changes could improve services at the troubled authority.
Power-sharing arrangements in the area were fraught with problems over the past six years and led to political infighting. An Audit Commission report in April this year found that Doncaster council was failing to govern effectively and recommended government intervention.
But John Fowler, policy analyst at the Children's Services Network, denied councils need to have one-party control to perform well. He cited Camden as an example of a hung council with a good track record.
"If the elected members and senior officers are prepared to make it work then a hung authority can be a pretty invigorating and stimulating experience," he said.
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