Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors on the country’s fourth largest metropolitan fire authority are to maintain their joint working agreement.
The two parties first came together to form a political leadership team in 2010.
“We have shelved party interests in favour of maintaining political stability at a time of unprecedented financial crisis,” explained Labour group leader, Mehboob Khan.
“The fire authority is losing 25 per cent of its central government grant so I don’t under-estimate the pain that has already brought, and will continue to bring over the next two years,” he said. “However, robust plans are in place to try and manage the deficit and with steady hands at the tiller and the support and commitment of everyone concerned we will do everything possible to try and protect our vital front-line emergency service.”
Councillor Khan was elected unopposed as the new authority Chair.
Councillor Khan is the Leader of Kirklees Council and has been active in the Labour party for more than 20 years. He is a prominent member of the Local Government Association, a non-executive director of NHS Kirklees and is a governor of Greenhead College.
His Vice-Chair for 2012/13 will be fellow Kirklees councillor, Judith Hughes.
Key committee posts:
Finance and Resources
CHAIR - Cllr. Bryan Smith (Labour, Calderdale)
VICE-CHAIR - To be appointed
Human Resources
CHAIR - Cllr. Gill Thornton (Labour, Bradford)
VICE-CHAIR - Cllr. Chris Townsley (Lib. Dem., Leeds)
Community Safety
CHAIR - Cllr. Tracey Austin (Labour, Wakefield)
VICE-CHAIR - Cllr. Cahal Burke (Lib. Dem., Kirklees)
Audit
CHAIR - Cllr. Brian Selby (Labour, Leeds)
VICE-CHAIR - Cllr. David Gray (Lib. Dem., Bradford).
The political composition of the authority is as follows:
Labour 13
Conservative 5
Liberal Democrat 4
