POLITICAL parties have a fortnight to come to an agreement in order to take control of the council.

The leader of the council is due to be appointed by May 22 at a meeting in which all elected members have a vote.

Councillors will have no choice but to approve the leader on the night, according to the current council leader Linda Thomas.

She said: "We are the largest party. We have the largest share of the votes so the protocol is that we are expected to talk to everybody."

Labour lost seven seats at last week's local election, leaving the ruling group with 23 seats.

Indepedent councillor Debbie Newall, who left the group less than six months ago, is in the process of rejoining the party after she revealed her intentions to come back to the group on election night.

This would give Labour 24 councillors who could be propped up by the Lib Dems' six councillors to give the group exactly half of the seats at the council.

The Conservatives would need to find 11 votes to reach a majority and take control of the council.

However, Tory councillor Hilary Fairclough, who will become mayor on May 15, may have to break convention and cast the deciding vote if her party want to take control.

Tory leader David Greenhalgh could become leader if he if gets the Lib Dems and at least one other group to vote for him.

But Farnworth and Kearsley First, who have enough seats to enter a coalition with the Tories and the Lib Dems, have said they will not "prop up" either of the largest parties.

The second full council meeting this month will see the council leader and members of various committees appointed.

Once the leader is appointed, cabinet members will then be chosen by the leader.

Cllr Thomas will remain as leader if Labour strike a successful deal and deputy leader Ebrahim Adia will also stay in his position following a local party AGM on Friday.

It is unclear what would happen if no leader is appointed at the meeting on May 22.