TORY bosses at Blackburn with Darwen Council have set out their stall as they bid to hold the ruling Labour group to account over the next 12 months.

Group leader Cllr John Slater has put forward his list of shadow executive members, confirmed at a meeting on Thursday.

Cllr Slater will be assisted by Cllrs Denise Gee and Derek Hardman as deputy leaders.

Cllr Hardman will also act as shadow executive member for growth and development.

Finance and governance will be overseen by Cllr Colin Rigby while Cllr Neil Slater has been appointed as shadow executive member for digital and customer services.

Cllr Paul Marrow will take up the role of environmental services shadow executive member while Cllrs Jacquie Slater, Julie Slater and Lilian Salton will act as shadow executive members for adult services and prevention, public health and wellbeing, and children, young people and education respectively.

Cllrs Hardman and Gee will also hold roles as opposition spokesmen for the planning and highways and licensing committees.

Following the elections held earlier this month, Cllr John Slater who was successful in his bid to retain his seat in Blackburn South and Lower Darwen, said: “The campaign was very positive. We had a good local message. I would like to thank the people of Blackburn South and Lower Darwen for voting me back in.

“If you take the overall picture across the country, I have lost some really good colleagues – especially in the north west.

“On the whole, I’m really pleased we have held all our seats but disappointed not to have taken any from Labour.”