THE new leader of the opposition on Cumbria County Council has unveiled his shadow cabinet.

Urswick-based Coun James Airey revealed his Tory team after taking over as head of the Conservative group.

Labour and the Lib-Dems run the authority after forming an alliance when neither secured an outright majority in the May elections for overall control.

Coun Airey, who represents Ulverston West, said: “We have a strong team that comprises both experienced councillors, many of whom have served as cabinet portfolio holders, and some of the new skills and talent brought into the group.”

Coun Airey shadows the newly-elected council leader, Labour stalwart Coun Stewart Young, who has responsibility for ‘straegic overview and corporate planning’.

Coun Airey, a Furness farmer, will also shadow the ‘adult and local services’ portfolio of Cllr Beth Furneaux.

Coun John Mallinson, a north Cumbria Conservative, gets the shadow financial planning portfolio, having overseen similar responsibilities on Carlisle City Council.

Coun Duncan Fairbairn - until recently the cabinet member for schools and education - will take up the shadow ‘safeguarding children’ role.

Penrith West ward member, Coun Helen Fearon, gets the highways and transportation portfolio.

Coun Jim Lister, representing Aspatria, is handed the environment portfolio, while Elizabeth Mallinson, former cabinet member for organisational development and HR, gets the organisational change portfolio.

The Solway Coast’s Tony Markley, another former cabinet member under the Conservative-Labour alliance which ran the council for the past four years, becomes shadow member for economic development.

Deputy Tory leader and Penrith Rural member, Gary Strong, gets the safer and stronger communities portfolio.

Coun Libby Bateman, the Conservative member for Kirkby Lonsdale, will take on the public health and communities portfolio, and Grange’s long-serving Coun Bill Wearing, advises the group on both scrutiny and the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Coun Airey added: ‘The shadow cabinet has an important role in providing challenge to the decisions made at Council’s Cabinet meetings, and also to act as a voice for the concerns of people in Cumbria.

‘I want to ensure that this powerful team, working on behalf of all Cumbrians over the next four years, ensure the best use and fairest distribution of council resources.”