TRIUMPHANT Labour leader Terry O’Neill says his party will look to fund new schemes – despite the pressures on the council budget.

Labour seized power at Warrington Town Hall after taking six seats from the Liberal Democrats in Thursday’s local elections.

They now have a majority for the first time since 2006.

On Monday Clr O’Neill said they were already announcing 40 new apprenticeships to be funded by the council over the next two years and says other money could be available.

He added: “We want to prioritise young people because they have had a raw deal in the last year with education maintenance allowanv and tuition fees and we need to give them confidence that we will listen to them.”

He also said he was looking to find more money to fill in some of the town’s potholes while improving the ‘dire state’ of Bridge Street was also a priority.

But he could give no commitment that the controversial ipads – bought by the council last year for £13,000 and heavily criticised by Labour in the run up to the election – would be returned.

He added: “We will look at it because we said we would, but until we see the books we do not know.”

And he said it will be a tough year ahead.

“This is a tough time for local Government.

“Eric Pickles (minister for Local Government) is the worst we have had and doesn’t like local Government and the amount of money is set so it will be tough.”

He said the party had targeted four seats in the election but that the extra two were a bonus.

He added: “We recognise there is a national picture but we have still campaigned on local issues that mattered to people and all our candidates worked really hard.

“And we are committed to doing our best for Warrington.”

And he added that he was determined to give back benchers from his own party and the council as a whole, a voice.

“We criticised the Lib Dem-Tory alliance for leaving members out and we want to change that.

“We want to be far more inclusive. In my own group I try to lead by example rather than dictating and it is important everyone feels involved.

“We are determined to make sure this is a member-led council, not an officer-led council as it has been in the past,” he explained.