CONTROVERSIAL proposals to increase the size of Worcester City Council’s cabinet by handing a seat to the Liberal Democrats have been labelled “absurd”.

The offer, which has been made by the minority Conservative administration, would cost the authority an extra £5,985 in allowances.

It is being dangled in front of the city’s two-strong Lib Dem group in return for the much-publicised deal allowing the Tories to stay in control of the council.

At the moment there are six cabinet members, all of whom are Conservative and are responsible for the major decision making in Worcester.

Under the two parties agreement, the Lib Dems can take up the offer any time over the coming weeks or months.

But Worcester Labour Party has derided it, saying if anything the size of the cabinet could be cut to save taxpayers money.

Councillor Paul Denham, deputy leader of the Labour group, said: “It’s all rather too convenient for us, it can’t be justified.

“When I joined the council in 2000 we had 1,000 employees and now it’s down to 300, if we had been in control we’d have seriously contemplated reducing it.”

Councillor Alan Amos, a Labour councillor, said: “I can’t see the point of the Lib Dems having a seat in the cabinet and furthermore, we don’t need seven people doing it.

“You could argue the city doesn’t even need six, never mind being in a position where it could be increased, it’s an absurdity.”

The city’s Lib Dems have yet to make a decision about taking up the cabinet offer.

Coun Liz Smith, group leader, has said the group would mull it over and only take one up on the basis of need.

By law, Coun Geraghty has the power to appoint a maximum cabinet size of nine, and can cut it to as small a number as he wishes. He said: “The cabinet roles are entirely in the leader’s gift, I can cut it to as little as I like, or I can increase it.

“We’re in a situation where the council is in no overall control and have had to reach out and make compromises, and this gives us the best chance of having a stable administration.

“We can only pursue it if both parties want it.”

The Tory-Lib Dem deal is being ratified at the council’s annual meeting tomorrow. There used to be seven cabinet members, but it was reduced to six in 2010 when former councillor David Clark, who was responsible for shared services, left the council.