A SHARED executive made up of Labour and Liberal Democrats will continue to run Pendle Council.

Councillor Mohammed Iqbal (Lab) will remain leader of the council, with Cllr Tony Greaves (Lib Dem) continuing as deputy.

The new executive will include six Labour and four Liberal Democrat members, including Barnoldswick councillor David Whipp, who will be the neighbourhood services and community safety portfolio holder.

In a statement, Cllr Iqbal said: “I am delighted the councillors have once again put their faith in me and I look forward to building on our past 12 months' achievements, where Labour and the Liberal Democrats have worked together for the benefit of the residents of the borough.”

The Pendle Conservatives, who hold 21 seats compared to 17 for Labour, ten for the Liberal Democrats and one for the BNP, were disappointed to not be a part of the executive.

A statement on the Pendle Conservatives Facebook page reads: "While we increased our numbers, no single party had enough seats for a majority.

"Taking that into account, as the largest group, we made an offer to the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups to run the council on an all-party basis. Rather than working across all three parties, the Labour and Liberal Democrats decided to form a two-party administration and shut out the largest group from the council administration."

In the lead-up to last week's executive meeting, Cllr Tony Greaves, leader of the Pendle Liberal Democrats, said: “What is clear is that every party on Pendle Council is a minority, and that will be the position for at least two years, and probably for some years to come. It is our duty to look for an arrangement for the coming year that is in the best interests of the people of Pendle."