A LABOUR-RUN council has been accused of "arrogance" for delaying a U-turn over local government secrecy.

Councillor Tony Richmond, leader of the Conservative group on Darlington Borough Council, said that the Labour-controlled authority should not have waited so long to open up its cabinet meetings to the Press and public.

And, he still believes the cabinet-style system is undemocratic and that the old committee system provided more scope for debate.

Coun Richmond, who is also the prospective Parliamentary candidate for Darlington, said: "The decision to hold secret meetings was made despite opposition from The Northern Echo, Darlington & Stockton Times, the Conservative group on the council and the public of Darlington.

"The fact that this took so long to change only confirms that the arrogance in the Labour Party is not just confined to Downing Street.

"But the cabinet style of local government is undemocratic anyway and is being bulldozed in by the Labour Government.

"The new system, whether held in secret or not, means that the decisions affecting the 100,000 population of Darlington are in the hands of nine councillors, with no opportunity for these decisions to changed later."

l Sedgefield Borough Council announced this week that it is also planning to open up its cabinet meetings to the public.

The authority joins Darlington and both Newcastle and Durham City Councils in promoting more open local government.

The change of heart follows The Northern Echo's Council Watch campaign against local government secrecy, which was launched earlier this year.