BOLTON’s ruling Labour group and political newcomers Farnworth and Kearsley First have clashed over the potential cost of the towns breaking away from the borough.

Labour says floating the prospect of “Fexit and Kexit” is “irresponsible” and claims the party has not "thought through" the repercussions.

But the fledgling party– which claimed its first seat on the council last month – has hit back, claiming Labour is using scare tactics, as a distraction from its failings in the towns.

A row between the two parties has been simmering since the last meeting of the full council, when deputy leader Cllr Ebrahim Adia said that if Farnworth and Kearsley broke away from the borough, residents would be hit by a 62 per cent hike in council tax.

He also told councillors that Farnworth schools benefited from council coffers to the tune of £32m, while £17m in housing benefit was paid out to people living in the town.

But Farnworth and Kearsley First’s election officer hit back at Cllr Adia’s comments in the chamber, claiming Labour’s spending figures seemed to be “plucked from thin air”.

And he added that some claims made by Cllr Adia and Cllr Jean Gillies relating to schools and housing benefit funding were inaccurate to the point of being “complete rubbish”.

However Cllr Gillies told The Bolton News that the fledgling party, which won its first council seat in March, was failing to see “the bigger picture”.

She said: “Farnworth and Kearsley First claim that the figure of 62 per cent is plucked out of thin air but, the truth is, they don’t understand council finances, and the real implications of their irresponsible pledge.

And Cllr Gillies added: “When you look into it, it’s not a case of ‘we will have more money and will spend it where we want’. Who will administer the services and how will they be delivered?

“It’s easy to make glib, eye-catching pledges, but when the reality hits home, Farnworth and Kearsley First owe it to the local people to say whether they plan for a 62 per cent hike in council tax for full independence, or semi-independence, with the Bolton Family still providing the bulk of services and thus the people of Farnworth paying two council tax bills. Neither is appealing.”

She said the council had an “obligation” to process housing benefit claims and find school places for every child, adding that the by 2020 there could be 6,000 children in the borough without a school place.

But Paul Heslop, Farnworth and Kearsley First’s election officer has dismissed the criticisms of his party.

He said that while he favours a breakaway from Bolton, such a move would only be pursued if voted for by the members of the party.

He added: “It’s indefensible what they have done to our towns and they can’t defend their policies.

“If they are saying Farnworth receives more of the council’s regular income for the year relative to its population, then show us what that is.”