BOLTON Council leader Linda Thomas has hailed a new “spirit of openness” after announcing details of her new cabinet and committee places offered to opposition members.

But Tory chief David Greenhalgh, said Cliff Morris’ successor had missed a big opportunity to demonstrate a truly inclusive approach.

The balance of the council shifted towards the opposition parties at the recent election, meaning the make up of various town committees had to change to reflect this.

Cllr Thomas has named a reduced cabinet and offered opposition members vice chairman positions on policy development committees.

Minority opposition councillors will be able to attend executive cabinet member meetings, and opponents have been offered two of Bolton’s three positions on the Greater Manchester corporate scrutiny panel and and housing, planning and environment scrutiny committee

Cllr Thomas said: “Ambitious plans to radically improve our town will be driven under new leadership by a reduced cabinet, but with councillors representative of many areas of the borough coming together to deliver both a challenging and exciting agenda.We will be consulting more widely with residents, businesses, councillors, staff and our many partners and together they will help us to achieve this ambition. No one must be left behind.”

And referring to her offer of vice chairman position on the policy development committees she said: “The frequency of these meetings is being increased and a greater number of opposition voices will also be included around the table.

“This fundamental mechanism for formulating policy will enable every councillor to meaningfully engage and work with us for the betterment of our communities.”

But Cllr Greenhalgh, who had called for opposition councillors to be appointed to chair scrutiny committees said he was “disappointed” by the announcement.

He said: “They speak of ‘listening’ and ‘being inclusive’, and had an opportunity to prove that by offering opposition parties the chairs of scrutiny Committees, positions that until recently were held by opposition parties when the political balance was not as much on a knife edge as it is now, but instead have once again taken every position for themselves.”

He added: “So once again, those committees that scrutinise Labour’s decisions and priorities for the town will be chaired by their own Labour colleagues.

“This is not the politics of joint working.”