TORIES ROLLED OVER BY LABOUR LEADER IQBAL

1.27.47am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 24th May 2010

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Pendle are pledging to work hard for the residents in the areas they represent, and provide a robust and constructive opposition on the Council.

This pledge follows the "dodgy deal" cobbled together by the Conservative and Labour groups at the Annual Meeting on Thursday.

Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor John David said that the Liberal Democrats, who were overtaken by the Tories as largest party, had accepted the proposals that the Conservatives made for running the Council.

"But the Labour Party led by Councillor Iqbal were being greedy and demanded more than was reasonably on offer. Moving the second adjournment, Councillor Iqbal called for all parties to "sit round a table and sort it out". But Labour and the Tories went straight into a huddle and cobbled together a deal on Labour's terms.

"The Tories blinked and Iqbal rolled them over."

The deal they then presented as a fait accompli to the Liberals included four Conservative committee chairmen, three Labour and not a single Liberal Democrat.

"We fear that Iqbal has got the Tories round his little finger," added Councillor David. "But we will fight hard for a fair deal for all parts of Pendle. We will form a robust but constructive opposition and put forward our views with vigour and reason."