CHANGES to the ruling body at Blackburn with Darwen Council have been ratified.

Executive member portfolios have been doled out and were confirmed at an annual council meeting at Blackburn town hall.

Cllr Mustafa Desai, fresh from regaining a seat on the council in elections earlier this month, will return to the executive board as member for adult services and prevention, replacing Cllr Shaukat Hussain.

And a new role of executive member for digital and customer services will be filled by Cllr Quesir Mahmood.

Cllr Brian Taylor, who was executive member for adult services, will instead serve as assistant to Cllr Damian Talbot under the new public health and wellbeing portfolio.

Key roles of growth and development, finance and governance, and children, young people and education, remain under the control of stalwart councillors Phil Riley, Andy Kay and Maureen Bateson, while Cllr Jim Smith is kept in post as executive member for environmental services.

And Cllr Mohammed Khan has been reconfirmed as leader of the council for another year.

Cllrs Riley and Kay have also been reconfirmed as deputy leaders of the council.

The status quo remained in Blackburn with Darwen as local elections passed by without any significant changes to the political makeup of the council.

The only seat to change hands between parties was Darwen East, where former councillor Paul Browne was victorious in his bid to regain a seat on the local authority.

Labour incumbent Kieran Richards had stepped down and his replacement on the ballot, Katrina Shepherd, lost to Cllr Browne by just 79 votes.

Elsewhere in the borough, it was business as usual as the Tories retained all four seats they were fighting to hold while Labour comfortably won the remaining 12.