THE new deputy leader of Bradford Council’s ruling Labour group says he’s looking forward to getting stuck into the role.

Councillor Imran Khan will officially become deputy leader of the Council at the authority’s annual meeting on May 16.

This means he will also retain a place on the decision-making Executive, with Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe expected to reveal within days whether she’s taking the opportunity to have a reshuffle among the rest of her top team.

Cllr Khan, who represents the Bowling and Barkerend ward, said he is hoping to keep his position as education boss.

He said: “I would like to continue with the education portfolio, but that’s down to the leader, in terms of which portfolio she gives to which person.”

Cllr Hinchcliffe said she would reveal who she had chosen for which Executive positions by the end of this week.

The outgoing deputy leader, Councillor Val Slater (Royds), stood down from the role on Monday and Cllr Khan was elected unopposed at a private Labour group meeting yesterday evening.

Cllr Slater will not seek re-election to the council when her current term ends next year, but has said she is waiting to find out whether she will remain on the Executive in her final year as a councillor.

On why he decided to put himself forward for the position of deputy leader, Cllr Khan said: “I just thought the time was right, really, for me.

“I obviously want to pay tribute to Val Slater because I think she did an absolutely fantastic job.

“Val announced she was thinking of standing down next year and wasn’t going to seek re-election, so I think she has been very gracious in the way she has acted and took the decision to stand down to allow a bit of succession planning.

“I have learnt a lot from Val and will continue to do so.

“The opportunity came up and I felt I owed it to Bradford to go for it, because I think I will do a good job of it.”

At the meeting, Councillor Shakeela Lal (City) was re-elected as chief whip, while Cllr Hinchcliffe is entering her second year of a four-year term as group leader.

The Council’s opposition Conservative group and its Liberal Democrat group will both hold meetings on Monday to elect their group officials.