Labour unveils new Council "cabinet" structure.

The Labour group on Bradford council last night chose its new model for the Council, which has to be "modernised" by 2001 under government legislation.

And fears that the group would pick a one-party "cabinet", meeting in secret, have proved groundless.

The group are proposing a 15 member "executive", with 6 members coming from opposition benches, whose meetings will be open to the public.

There will also be 5 cross-party "scrutiny committees", which will oversee decisions made by the Executive, but will have no power to change them.

A "standards committee", with a councillor from each political group but chaired by an "independent lay member", will referee proceedings.

The "area committees", covering the different geographical districts will be retained and strengthened.

A number of quasi-judicial "panels" will be set up, much on the same lines as present council sub-committees, to oversee functions such as Planning, Licensing, Taxis, and Appeals for a number of areas (Housing, Education, Social Services and Employees.

The model chosen is very similar to that currently operating in Leeds.

It is expected that Labours 9 "executive members", operating along similar lines to government cabinet ministers, will be paid a full time salary. They will be made up of:

• The Leader (currently Ian Greenwood)
• The Deputy Leader (covering Corporate Issues)
• The Chief Whip

And 6 Executive Members covering:

• Regeneration (including transportation, planning and design)
• Rebuilding Communities (including Crime and Community Safety)
• Education
• Homes & Environment
• Health and Social Care
• Culture, Heritage and Leisure

Each Executive member will have a deputy and two other councillors covering specific policy areas. These will make up a "Reference" group and, much as now, will decide policy privately before it is presented publicly to the "Executive".

The new structure will be put to a full Council meeting for approval, before the public are consulted.

Update 15/10/99: The council last night approved the new system. Council leader Ian Greenwood will receive a salary of £25,000. Other "cabinet ministers" and key councillors will be paid between £12,500 and £17,500. Backbench councillors will get £7,500.

David Smith, the Bishop of Bradford, will become the first "lay" chair of the new standards committee.

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