Labour councillors are refusing to take key jobs on new-look Bradford Council for the third year running.

And the Liberal Democrat group is also expected to refuse the education portfolio as the authority today begins a fresh Council year with new rifts between its members.

But Tory Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton - given the post by default yesterday - said she would seek talks with leaders of both other groups over the key jobs on Britain's fourth biggest metropolitan authority.

And she admitted it was going to be a tough year for the Council with no overall group in control and the parties seemingly at loggerheads.

Seats on the powerful Executive Committee, which include posts controlling education and the environment, have gone to Tory councillors Simon Cooke, Anne Hawkesworth and Kris Hopkins.

Labour allocations have gone to Ian Greenwood, Dave Green, Barry Thorne and Ralph Berry and Liberal Democrats Jeanette Sunderland and David Ward have seats.

The size of the committee has been reduced from 14 to ten in line with Government instructions and it will be chaired by Coun Eaton.

But her first job will be deciding on the number of portfolios to be set up - bearing in mind the reduced size of the committee and the remit of councillors who hold them.

All councillors sitting on the executive, including those without portfolios, will receive a £17,500 a year special responsibility allowance.

Today, Coun Ian Greenwood, leader of the Labour Group, announced that his four members on the committee would not accept portfolios.

He said: "We will be providing constructive opposition. It would not be right for us to accept them."

And leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Coun Jeanette Sunderland, said: "We would not accept an unresourced portfolio, and the Tories have refused to allocate £12 million for schools in next year's budget."

The jobs of picking senior councillors to take on the specialist jobs covering education, health, housing, the economy and the environment follows the election of Coun Eaton as Council leader yesterday.

The Liberal Democrats have voted with the Tories for the past two years to elect her as leader.

But yesterday they voted against her nomination and Labour and Green councillors abstained.

Her election as Council leader with just the votes of her own group is believed to be unprecedented in the authority.

She said today: "We will liaise with the other parties about the portfolios. It is not an easy situation on a hung council."