SEVEN hours of argument has left Pendle Council with no leader and no party in control, after moves by Labour to take the helm were blocked by their Liberal rivals.

Labour was prepared to run the council as a minority administration but the move was voted down by the Liberals. The Tory group abstained.

In turn Labour accused the Liberals, still the largest group on the council, of shirking their responsibilities by not putting forward their own chairman for the authority's main committees.

Instead the three political groups on the council will take it in turn to chair the committees over the next 12 months. None of the groups put forward nominations for council leader. Councillor Azhar Ali, leader of the Labour group, said Liberal leader Councillor Alan Davies had let down local people.

"We were prepared to take the chairs of the main committees and the Liberals would not let us.

"Councillor Davies had the opportunity to put forward a slate of Liberal Democrats to run the council. They have the largest number of seats.

"He has let down the people of Pendle. They didn't elect us to abdicate responsibility like Councillor Davies is doing.

"The next 12 months are crucial to the people of Pendle. "We can't sit back and wait leaving this authority in a hung scenario. That is why we took the step to try and form a minority administration."

But Coun Davies said: "I make no apologies in not moving forward a slate of Liberal Democrats for these positions. What we saw two weeks ago during the local elections was quite clearly the electorate of Pendle taking away our right to run this council."

He attacked Labour's election campaign, accusing them of "slinging mud" and telling lies, and then pointing at the Labour councillors said: "I honestly believe the last thing people in Pendle can do is trust the people on those benches over there.

"People who tell lies about what Pendle Council is doing abrogate entirely the right to stand up and run it. They are a rag-tag bunch that are not fit to run this authority."

Liberal councillor David Whipp added his group could not put itself in the position of running the authority and finding itself implementing policies pushed through by Labour and the Conservatives it did not agree with.

Instead the main committees dealing with policy, finances, services and ethics will be run in five cycles over the next year with each group taking turns to put forward chairmen.

Council rules were altered to make sure the chairmen will act independently and in a non-partisan way.

The chairman's traditional casting vote has been taken away and in the case of a tie a motion will be defeated.

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