BRADFORD Council’s new leader has dropped her predecessor from the authority’s top team saying she wanted “a fresh start”.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, who officially became leader of the Labour-controlled authority at the council’s annual meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, has not given any executive role to its former leader, Cllr David Green (Lab, Wibsey).

Cllr Ralph Berry (Lab, Wibsey), who had been a long-standing member of the executive, has also been dropped, as has Cllr Arshad Hussain (Lab, Toller), who had been on the executive for a year.

New to the six-strong executive will be councillors Sarah Ferriby (Lab, Wyke), Abdul Jabar (Lab, Great Horton) and Alex Ross-Shaw (Lab, Windhill and Wrose).

The dramatic switch-around drew a wry comment from the Conservative benches at Tuesday’s meeting.

Cllr John Pennington (Con, Bingley), paying tribute to outgoing Lord Mayor of Bradford Cllr Joanne Dodds, mentioned an abseiling mishap she had experienced, adding: “We are glad you haven’t ‘done a Dave’ and actually dropped off entirely!”

After the meeting, Cllr Hinchcliffe said: “I’m a new leader and it is normal for a new leader to want a fresh start.

“I have tried to look at the skill-sets I need for what I want to achieve in Bradford.

“The people I have chosen are up for the challenge. That is not to denigrate the councillors who went before. They did great work for Bradford and will continue to serve Bradford in other ways, but it is natural for a new leader to want a fresh cabinet.”

Deputy council leader, Cllr Val Slater (Lab, Royds), will take on responsibility for health and social care, while Cllr Imran Khan (Lab, Bowling and Barkerend), who has been on the executive for a year, will now oversee education.

Cllr Ferriby will take on the environment and sport portfolio, Cllr Ross-Shaw will lead on planning and regeneration with Cllr Jabar for neighbourhoods and community safety.

Cllr Green declined to comment, apart from to say it was Cllr Hinchcliffe’s prerogative to appoint people to the executive.