The expensive farce of Newcastle's council ward boundaries review http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-boundary-review-branded-a-10799799

Labour protecting "jobs for their own"?

A review of Newcastle's political landscape has been branded a "complete farce" by opposition councillors, reports the Evening Chronicle

The Boundary Commission has been accused of making a U-turn over proposals to slash the number of councillors and redraw ward boundaries across the city.

The commission had previously suggested that the number of councillors could be cut by a quarter and the number of wards reduced by six- saving Newcastle City Council an estimated £200,000 a year.

However yesterday the commission came out in support of the ruling Labour group and stated that the number of councillors should remain at 78 across 26 wards.