THE shape of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s new ruling executive will be revealed later this month.

Appointments to the board and executive portfolios will be confirmed following the council’s annual general meeting on Thursday, May 17.

The leader of the council be confirmed at the meeting, which starts at 6pm at the town hall.

It remains to be seen whether current leader Cllr Mohammed Khan will stay in his position or if a new leader will be chosen.

After the appointment of the leader, the composition and the individual executive board members will be confirmed.

The board can be a maximum size of the leader plus nine executive board members or a minimum of two members including the leader.

Given the reduction in the number of councillors overall, the number of executive members is also expected to fall, with new portfolios likely to be children, young people and education, environment, health and adult social care, leisure and culture, neighbourhoods and prevention, and regeneration and resources.

Following Friday’s count at King George’s Hall, history was made as the first female Asian councillors were elected in Blackburn with Darwen.

Cllrs Saima Afzal and Maryam Batan were among the 37 Labour candidates chosen by voters to take seats on the council.

The Conservatives secured 13 seats while Lib Dem Roy Davies will be the party’s lone voice on the council, leaving Labour with a 24-seat majority.

Following the last election in 2016, Labour held 44 seats while the Conservatives had 16, the Lib Dems two and there was one independent councillor.

Notable retirements prior to the election included husband-and-wife team of Liberal Democrat leader David Foster and Karimeh, both former borough mayors with more than 25 years each representing Whitehall in Darwen.

They joined former Tory council leader Mike Lee, Labour executive member for health Mustafa Ali Desai, former mayor of Blackburn and mayor of Darwen Town Councils Eileen Entwistle and 2013/14’s borough mayor Salim Mulla in standing down.