COUNCILLORS in Pendle's Liberal Democrat group refused to place any councillors on the borough's executive committee -- despite 44 per cent of voters supporting the group at the recent elections.

In a shock decision, the council's new leader Councillor Alan Davies announced his group would play no part in the leading decision-making committee after their proposed favoured political composition for the committee of five Liberal Democrats, three Labour and two Conservative was out-voted.

He also threatened to resign as leader of the council if the 4-4-2 composition proposed by leader of the Labour group Coun Frank Clifford, which had already been voted in, was accepted.

After a short adjournment he returned to the council chamber willing to continue in his role but offering no nominations to the executive committee.

Coun Davies said he had discussed his proposal for the executive with both Coun Clifford and Coun Beckett, leader of the Conservatives, at a previous meeting and until the full council yesterday was under the impression they would not oppose it.

He believed that since the Liberal Democrats had the most seats on the council, despite it still being a hung council, the group should have more seats on the executive committee.

But the other groups believed that there should be a more equal representation on the committee, since the leader of the council was already a Liberal Democrat.

Coun Davies said: "I am angry and extremely disappointed that both these people who I have taken into my confidence at the first opportunity have done the exact opposite to what I have been doing with them and it does not bode well for how this year should go on.

"I was told by Coun Beckett that 'fairness would prevail' and I gave my assurance that if the 5-3-2 position was passed I would not use my casting vote.

"To be told directly by both people that this particular course of action would not be followed and then to go back on this does great dishonour to both of them and council and kicks the electorate of this borough in the face and flies entirely against the wishes of this borough.

"There were 10,500 Liberal Democrat votes at the elections with the next nearest group getting 5,400. That means 44.5 per cent voted for the Liberal Democrats. It is absolutely crystal clear what was intended by the people of Pendle. I am appalled by what appears to have been a shabby deal."

Coun Clifford agreed that he originally said he would not oppose the 5-3-2 make up of the executive but that after a second group meeting he and his colleagues decided the 4-3-3 was a more accurate reflection of the council.

He said: "We have moved forward on the agenda and the decision cannot be unravelled now. What price democracy to try and change the vote just because they don't like the decision."

Coun Beckett said: "We have spoken a lot about democracy and how it works and it seems that it means different things to different people. If it suits you it's right and if it doesn't it's wrong.

"It is a hung council. That's the way it should be reflected, that no particular party has more power over another one. I agree the leader of the council should be the leader of the largest group as that's fair but I don't think we should go to the extreme of having a vote, coming to a decision and then deciding it's wrong and then having a meeting to change it.

"Coun Davies did speak to me and I listened but I believe this is a fair world and we all have time to reflect before having to make a decision."