THE government should send in special commissioners to run Lancashire County Council, its Labour opposition leader Azhar Ali has demanded.

He accused the authority’s current Tory administration of ‘descending into chaos’ and failing to make the case to government for extra cash for its services.

Nelson East’s County Cllr Ali was speaking after unruly scenes at Thursday’s full council meeting which approved the replacement of current chief executive Jo Turton with a new chief executive and director of resources Angie Ridgewell.

The session also saw county council chairman Terry Aldridge hand over a bitterly-argued debate on ‘halal’ meat to his deputy and Rossendale South Tory Cllr Anne Cheetham for ‘personal reasons’.

The meeting saw the Tory county council leader, County Cllr Geoff Driver survive a vote of no confidence and confirmed the appointment of Ms Ridgwell, currently with the Whitehall Department for Business, to the new top job.

The handover will take on January 3 while other posts created in County Cllr Driver’s controversial management restructure,which sees Ms Turton and four other senior staff leaving their jobs, are being advertised.

County Cllr Ali said: “The county council is descending into chaos.

“It is time for government commissioners to take over. This management restructure has created a power vacuum and while Cllr Driver in his bunker, no-one is making the case for extra government cash to pay for its vital services to residents.”

County Cllr Driver rejected County Cllr Ali’s claims and said: “This is a crucial time for the county council, as we face an unprecedented financial challenge.

“Our restructure of senior management recognises that challenge and required us to find an exceptional candidate, someone who not only has highly developed skills as a visionary leader, but also has the necessary professional finance qualifications and experience of managing the finances of a major organisation.”

Local government minister Lord Bourne has already said the government is not considering sending in commissioners.

The meeting decided that from December only ‘halal’ meat from stunned animals, but not poultry, would be supplied to county council establishments including schools in contravention of Lancashire Council of Mosques dietary rules.