FOUR of Lancaster and Morecambe's five political groups will be represented in a new cabinet-style council agreed this week, however the city's Labour Party has carried our its threat to withdraw from the whole exercise.

At a heated meeting of the full council on Wednesday night the Labour group came under fire and was roundly condemned by all other groups for its refusal to take part in the new administration, which will be based on proportional representation.

Labour's abstention means that, instead of ten, the new cabinet will consist of just seven councillors: three MBI members, two Conservative and one each from the Greens and Liberal Democrats. Labour will retain the option of taking up the remaining three seats in the future.

Labour stalwart Cllr Ian Barker explained his party's stance by saying: "For a PR cabinet to work there needs to be one of two things, either a general agreement over policy or mutual respect and trust... I don't believe either exists here."

And Labour's leader, Cllr Abbott Bryning, criticised the Greens for "siding" with political groups pledged to develop the M6-Heysham link road.

But the Greens' Cllr Emily Heath rounded on the Labour group.

"I hope we can all trust each other, but if Ian Barker believes there is good reason to distrust colleagues, he should take the matter to the Standards Committee to bring it out in public and not just sit there sniping from the other side of the room," she said.

The Lib Dems too, were unimpressed with the Labour decision, Cllr John Gilbert commented: "I'm very disappointed that Labour don't feel able to serve as they, as a group, have more recent experience of government than any of the other groups."

The feeling among some members is that Labour will try to wield its influence by deciding who will head the Review Panels. These panels will scrutinise all decisions reached by the new council and can object to any decisions the new cabinet agrees. Because of the way the new council will be structured these panels cannot be chaired by representatives of the largest political party. In addition to this most decisions will still have to have the agreement of the full council.