A WATCHDOG committee at North Yorkshire County Council was today being accused of being politically unbalanced.

Labour county councillors said they would refuse to take their seats on the committee - which deals with corporate policy and audit matters - amid claims that it did not allow for an opposition chair.

This is said to go against the new cabinet-style of local government by giving the ruling Conservative party a free hand.

Labour deputy leader Coun Dean Howson said: "This is nonsense - the Tories plan to police themselves and we will not give their undemocratic plans credibility.

"During the consultation process on this issue the public made it clear that they would not trust the ruling Tory group to police themselves."

But council leader David Ashton hit back, saying it was the Labour government that had brought about the new system of cabinet-style local government.

"It is ridiculous that the Labour group are not prepared to represent their electorate by taking part in council meetings," he said.

"If they have any reservations about the new structures they should complain to the Labour government."

Coun Ashton said the only reason the legislation had been brought in was because "the Labour government does not trust its colleagues in local government".

He said: "Our proposals for the new political structures in North Yorkshire are open and inclusive.

"We have listened to the results of the public consultation exercise and have acted on them.

"Under the Government proposals we would have been able to take all the chairs of scrutiny and cabinet places, effectively excluding the opposition groups, but we have not done this."

Coun Ashton said proposals for the new structures had been drawn up by a cross-party working group.

"To throw the towel in, after all the work that has been put in, is disappointing," he added.