LEADING councillors in Blackburn and Darwen have been accused of acting like dictators at public meetings for not giving their rivals a say on major issues.

Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say the ruling Labour group have been bulldozing their policies through without allowing criticism from opposition parties.

Their accusations follow a policy and resources meeting, one of the most important committees in the council structure, which lasted only 25 minutes.

Liberal Democrat group leader Coun Paul Browne said: "At the policy and resources committee I wanted to speak on an item which covered rent arrears but I never got the chance."

Tory Alan Cottam said opposition councillors had wanted to comment on a range of issues, including council tax levels, but he said issues were bulldozed through more quickly than the average person could turn over the pages of the agenda. He added: "There were 25 councillors and as many senior officers assembled to debate 37 agenda items made up of over 600 pages of important issues that will certainly affect the daily lives of citizens in the borough yet the entire meeting took less than 20 minutes.

"The council was criticised in a MORI poll and by a review panel for not communicating with the public.

"In this particular agenda, a report suggested we assemble a citizens panel. Can you imagine what respect such a panel would receive from this arrogant dictatorship?

Labour Coun Malcolm Doherty, leader of the council and chairman of the policy and resources committee said: "There was plenty of chance for people to raise issues and indeed the Conservative leader Jim Hirst, deputy leader John Williams both spoke.

"Coun Paul Browne did not once intimate that he wanted to speak and am surprised he has made these allegations, although it has to be said it is typical of him when it is coming up to election time."

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