Council `summit' to break deadlock; 5.

Byline: Sam Lister

TALKS will be held again this week in the hope of breaking the deadlock between Wirral's warring politicalleaders.

The hung council is now in the hands of officers after the three parties failed to agree on how to split power.

Chief executive Steve Maddox, who has stepped in as leader, will hold a `summit' style meeting later this week at the request of the Conservatives.

The three group leaders will once again attempt to thrash out adealbefore the full cabinet reconvenes on June 3.

The row centres on who should hold the ten cabinet seats, with the Lib Dems and Conservatives calling for a power share.

Labour wants to keep control or go into opposition. But the group has revealed it may now be willing to compromise in a bid to end the stalemate.

Labour leader Coun Steve Foulkes said: ``We are working on a couple of alternatives, it will be compromise on our part that we will be suggesting.'' The Lib Dems and Conservatives are still holding out for a division of power based on the number of seats they won at the local elections.

Lib Dem group leader Coun Stuart Kelly said: ``It's down to Labour to end this. They have to back down and enter a power share. We are not moving from our position.''

Coun Jeff Green, leader of the Conservative group, said: ``What we are suggesting is that the parties get together to explore what problems each has with the proposals and how we can move this forward.''

CAPTION(S):

FOULKES: Proposal