RESURGENT opposition parties dramatically seized control of key council positions in York last night, as they made their majority count for the first time.

The opposition groups joined forces to oust Labour councillors from various committee positions in the wake of the ruling party's loss of control.

Labour has been weakened by a string of defections in recent months, plunging it into a minority and allowing the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and independents to outvote it if they act in unison.

An extraordinary meeting of the council took place last night to re-allocate powerful committee positions in the new hung council, after the Westfield by-election victory for the Liberal Democrats and a series of angry resignations from the ruling Labour group.

Leader James Alexander also announced he was willing to share his executive function with other party group leaders.

Opposition groups including Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green, Independent and Labour Independent groups together forced a series of radical changes from the ruling group, including the surrendering of all but two of their committee chairman positions.

>>> FLASHBACK: How Labour lost control of York in 5 dramatic moments

Proposing the changes, opposition members said their plans would allow proper scrutiny of the Labour cabinet’s decisions over unpopular policies such as the Castlegate closure, and the Lendal Bridge restrictions.

Conservative group leader Chris Steward said: “I have been a councillor for three and a half years, and in that time the one consistent feature has been that I have been able to influence this council in no way at all.”

In the future, councillors would be able to work together, he added.

“For the first time, we will be able to go to committee meetings without knowing the result in advance.”

But the Labour group, facing the loss of its majority on each of the council's decision making committees, hit back accusing their opponents of a grab to get the extra money that committee chairmanships bring through special responsibility allowances.

Cllr Alexander said: “It is disappointing to see that the first action is to get together and hammer out a grubby backroom deal to take all the chairs, and all but two of the vice chairs, for themselves.”

Earlier in the meeting, Cllr Alexander made a personal statement in which he acknowledged that “business as usual” could not go on in the council, and announced he would share his powers, as council leader, with other groups leaders in a cross party executive group which will meet publicly.

Speaking after the meeting Liberal Democrat leader Keith Aspden, and Conservative Chris Steward, said the announcement was the first either had heard of such a proposal, and Cllr Steward said the best thing the Labour group could do to encourage cross party working would be to chose another leader.

Cllr Aspden said that while his group would look at all proposals, but added: “We have had almost four years of Labour steamrollering through unpopular policies like closing Lendal Bridge and cutting basic services, without listening to local resident or opposition councillors.

“Given this anything Cllr Alexander says about power sharing will be treated with deep suspicion.”

Some committees have retained their previous chairmen - including cabinet member for planning Cllr Dave Merrett on the Local Plan Working Group; Conservative John Galvin on Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee; Liberal Democrat Ann Reid on Learning and Culture Scrutiny Committee; and former Labour member Cllr Helen Douglas, now a Conservative councillor, on the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee.

But majority control has changed on those committees, as with the rest of the council, meaning opposition members will be able to vote together to defeat Labour proposals.

Elsewhere, newly re-elected Liberal Democrat Cllr Andrew Waller has taken the job of chairman on the Economic and City Development scrutiny committee, ousting Labour's Anna Semlyen; another Liberal Democrat Ann Reid has taken the influential chairmanship of the planning committee; while former the Labour, now independent, Cllr Brian Watson has taken the area planning sub committee chairmanship.

Objecting to joint opposition plans, Cllr Julie Gunnell said the new plans were taking the council towards an unrepresentative male-dominated council.

The leaders' meetings to hammer out the deals had involved no women, and she added: “In one fell swoop we have reduced women chairs to just three. Under Labour, women had more chairs than men, and the cabinet is equal.

“Don’t grab what you can, there are issues to be addressed and this should not be a male dominated council.”