PENDLE Council leader Coun Azhar Ali has won a place round the cabinet table at 10 Downing Street.

Coun Ali has been on the Labour Party's National Policy Forum for more than two years and was successful in persuading David Blunkett to include the New Deal for Schools in the last manifesto.

He has now been elected to the most powerful policy making structure within the party -- the Joint Policy Committee, which has responsibility for strategic oversight of policy.

It has the final decision on new policies and reviews what each government department is doing regarding drawing up policies. It meets every couple of months.

The JPC is chaired by Prime Minister Tony Blair at No.10 and comprises the cabinet as well as senior representatives of the National Executive Committee and unions.

Coun Ali, said," I am delighted and privileged to be chosen by my colleagues to serve on this powerful body."