NO CONFIDENCE CALL PUT 'ON HOLD' WHILE CROSS-PARTY TALKS CONTINUE

11.08.00pm GMT Mon 8th Dec 2008

Cllr Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem Group Leader at Kirklees Council)

Plans to hold a vote of no confidence in Cllr Jim Dodds and Cllr Robert Light have been put 'on hold' while all-party talks into the future of schools in North Kirklees continue.

Liberal Democrat Councillors had said in October that they would call on Cllrs Light and Dodds to resign at Wednesday's meeting of Kirklees Council unless major changes were made to the Conservative's school plans. But since then education boss Jim Dodds has agreed to new all-party talks over schools and deferred the Cabinet decision on school closures and mergers until the New Year.

Cllr Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem Group Leader at Kirklees Council) said: "Representatives from all parties are now talking to try to find a solution to the issue of school changes in North Kirklees. The Conservatives have accepted that their original proposals did not have the support of many parents, teachers or Councillors and that they were flawed.

"I think it is the right thing to do to allow more time for the talks to develop. We believe that Cllr Dodds is willing to work with all the parties to develop a different proposal. We said we would work to build a consensus and we will continue to seek agreement on this major issue."