POLITICAL parties should no longer be guaranteed places on school governing bodies, the council was told.

Tory group leader Clr Robert Light said there should be an end to the system where places are reserved for parties, according to their standing on the full council.

He said it had led to many of the places being unfilled due to a lack of interest.

Clr Light said: "All members of the public should be able to apply to be school governors, and it shouldn't matter if someone is a member of a political party or not."

Clr John Smithson, the council cabinet member responsible for education, admitted many of the political places were empty.

He told the council: "The role of school governors is now more involved than ever it was so I suppose it is no surprise.

"But I think it's quite reasonable that the local education authority should continue to have places when it is the council that has a hand in deciding school budgets."