DARWEN’S MP has waded into the row over council cuts, accusing bosses of ‘dishonesty’ over job losses.

Conservative Jake Berry said around 500 of the 1,000 job losses quoted by Blackburn with Darwen Council related to unfilled vacancies, which did not equate to a ‘redundancy.’ He said: “The figures being quoted are fundamentally dishonest.”

Mr Berry also criticised the claim that council funding had been cut by 25 per cent, saying this ignored money gained from council tax.

Council leader Kate Hollern announced around 1,000 ‘job losses’ this week, of which around 500 were expected to be compulsory.

She said: “If Mr Berry wants to come and tell the staff at the town hall that their jobs aren’t real, he is more than welcome.”