WIRRAL Council could abandon its current leader and cabinet model of administration and return to a committee system, under proposals being developed by Liberal Democrats.

The authority currently has a political leader – usually appointed from the largest group – and a cabinet of nine other councillors with separate portfolios.

But in a notice of motion set to be put to a meeting of the full council last night, Wirral’s Liberal Democrats called for the council to move towards “a more inclusive system of governance”.

The proposal was expected to receive the support of their coalition partners in the Conservative group.

Lib-Dem leader Cllr Simon Holbrook said the coalition agreement, which has seen his party share power with the Tories since last May, committed them both to trying to bring back a committee structure to the council.

Cllr Jeff Green, who leads the Tory group, has also spoken favourably of changing the existing system to include more backbench councillors in decision making.

Councils are widely expected to be given the power to decide how they prefer to run themselves as a result of legislation due to be passed as part of the Government's Localism and Decentralisation Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament.