Ryan set to quit as panel's chairman

In a shock move at a panel meeting Liberal Democrats and Tories joined to vote Councillor Ryan - who was chairman last year - back into the key job.

But Councillor Peter Lancaster (Lab, Eccleshill) immediately asked for an adjournment to allow his party to have a discussion, saying: "There are clear rules."

The Labour group has gone into official opposition on the hung council after the Liberal Democrats supported head of the Tory Group Councillor Margaret Eaton as council leader.

Coun Ryan agreed to chair the meeting but said he would have to take the issue back to the group. He thanked the other groups for proposing and seconding him but said he was in a difficult position.

He added: "It puts me in a dilemma. I will chair this evening's meeting and then let the Labour group decide what to do in the future. They have taken the line of going into opposition with the major committees. I am flattered that members want me to continue, but there is a bigger political picture."

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said the groups had to get on with each other for the next two years and there was no political agenda in the area panel.

Bradford Council has five area panels based on the district's parliamentary constituencies.

The district's neighbourhood forums feed their decisions into the panels, which meet about once every six weeks and have their own limited budgets allocated by the Council.

Leader of the Labour group Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "If the Tories and Liberal Democrats have taken control they should take the chairmanship of these committees.''

Coun Sunderland said: "I am very, very disappointed about this. I think it was the best area panel meeting we have had for four years.''

e-mail: olwen.vasey-

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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