The Labour Party county council group have quit the coalition at Oxfordshire County Council.
The coalition fallout comes in the wake of a damning report into the county's troubled special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission earlier this month.
Following the report, council leader Liz Leffman, who is a Liberal Democrat, told Labour Group leader Cllr Liz Brighouse to quit as cabinet member for youth services.
The tension came to a head on Sunday when the Labour Group resigned from the coalition and accused Cllr Leffman of being "asleep at the wheel".
Labour's departure from the coalition leaves it in a precarious state. Both the Lib Dems and Conservatives hold 21 seats on the council, but without the support of Labour (14 seats), the Lib Dems will no longer have a majority when it comes to making decisions.
Conservative group leader Cllr Eddie Reeves said: "Labour and the Liberal Democrats have failed to run services for our most vulnerable children. Ofsted's conclusions are damning, particularly when set against its last inspection in 2019."
County Councillor Liam Walker said: "The coalition has achieved nothing over the past two and a bit years other than make everything political and waste Oxfordshire taxpayers' money on pet projects. Many of us told Labour county councillors they were making a mistake propping up the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party but they didn't listen. Now, halfway through their term after a disgraceful SEND report and calls for the Labour Deputy Leader to resign they have decided to find a backbone and break away from the coalition."
Cllr Walker added: "I'm afraid the damage is already done and residents are picking up the price tag for their failures and residents now have to wait a further two and half years to hopefully vote back in the Conservative group to bring common sense and respect back to the county council."
