Tulketh campaigner Neil Darby slammed the new Labour run Preston City Council for providing ‘jobs for the boys’ by increasing the number of cabinet positions but excluding women from the top jobs.

The new Labour leader of the Council has as his first act increased the number of higher paid cabinet members to six instead of reducing it to four. Since 2007, administrations had reduced the number from seven to five.

These cabinet members are paid more for their added responsibilities – but according to Labour’s description of the new cabinet role he has no ‘specific delegations and powers’! Speaking to Focus, Neil Darby asked “How is paying more public money to a councillor who has no added responsibility justified? If the Leader is willing to take a pay cut then surely this money should be put back into Preston City Council to secure our city’s finances?”

“There is no place in Preston today for a City Council which just gives our taxpayers money to their mates, and still less for a Council which excludes women from the top jobs in Town Hall. It is quite literally back to the bad old days of ‘jobs for the boys’ at Preston City Council today.”