The man widely tipped to take over responsibility for Bradford's schools on Tuesday has sent a firm hands-off message to the Labour Government.

Liberal Democrat education spokesman, Councillor David Ward's comments follow a meeting between the leaders of the Council's three main political groups with Schools Standards Minister Estelle Morris in London yesterday.

He said: "I would be extremely angry if the decision about what to do about education in Bradford was made by the Government.

"I believe that the problems in Bradford are problems that we can solve as a local authority if we all work together. I would not be very happy at all if the Department for Education was forcing us to go down a privatisation route."

Coun Ward is the favourite to take the education portfolio if the expected power-sharing deal between Bradford Council's Conservatives and Liberal Democrats goes through at the Council's annual meeting on Tuesday.

The Government is known to be keen to see new ways of delivering local education tried out, such as the partnership model proposed for Bradford.

Union leaders have also expressed concern that it will use next week's Ofsted report to pressurise the Council into pushing such proposals through.

But Councillor Ian Greenwood, leader of the Labour group on Bradford Council, said: "I think it would be extremely unwise of Councillor Ward to set Bradford Council on a collision course with the Government in these circumstances.''

The likely new Council leader, Councillor Margaret Eaton (Con) said the situation in Bradford had not been discussed with Ms Morris, only the Government's general view of education.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.