TORY councillors have accused Darlington’s Labour-run authority of being responsible for “wrong and rotten” governance.

In a heated discussion at a full council meeting, the Conservatives criticised Darlington Borough Council members for appointing predominantly Labour councillors to chair scrutiny committees.

Scrutiny committees examine and question decisions made by senior members and the Conservatives claimed that to appoint a disproportionate number of Labour councillors was equivalent to a company’s independent audit being carried out by its own staff.

Conservative councillor Alan Coultas said: “Currently it is Labour who takes the decisions on all of the positions of special responsibility, including scrutiny.

“Who in Labour decides – the local members, the councillors or the leader?

“Are the decision-makers within the constitution of this council?

“It is akin to the financial director in a company appointing his own staff to chair the independent audit.

“It is fundamentally wrong and rotten governance.”

Cllr Charles Johnson added: “As councillors we have a duty to represent all the residents of our wards without fear or favour and it is our duty to take that into committees.

“When governance is corrupted by other factors it leaves the residents of our town questioning whether this is a good council or not.”

Council leader Bill Dixon strongly denied suggestions that there was anything underhand in the appointment process and said the Conservatives would elect their committee chairs in the same way if they had won the election.

He said: “Don’t come here with that one, that there is some secret meeting or I have Svengali powers over this lot; can you imagine!

“They are very intelligent, talented people and God help anybody who wants to get in their way.

“I refute the suggestion that I have some kind of power over them.”

He also said that scrutiny was an important part of the political process and involved all parties, whether or not they were in positions of chair or vice chair.

He added that Labour members have previously worked well with opposition councillors on matters such as the Department of Education offices being built in the town centre and he hoped that relationship could continue.

He said: “Politics is a tough old trade.

“We have just had an election and the people have made their decision; we have another four years.”

The Conservatives moved an amendment to appoint more Tories onto senior scrutiny committee positions but it was voted out by the Labour majority.