WHEN a politician stands for office he or she makes a fundamental pact with the voter: namely that they will stand by the manifesto on which they were elected.

So what are Labour voters to make of the six councillors who this week quit the Labour Party to form an independent group just days after being elected?

The breakaway councillors seem to be saying that they left because they were being unfairly blamed for the demise of council leader Sir Bill Taylor who lost his seat. However some senior Labour councillors say it's really about one of the councillors, Mahfooz Hussain, losing his executive education position.

Whichever of these theories is true, neither justify the breakaway. The six councillors who won on a Labour ticket have badly let down the people who voted for them who were casting their votes for Labour - and not for anything else.

Yes, politicians do sometimes change political colours but not within just a few days of being elected. The whole thing smacks of a deep lack of respect for the democratic principle and it's hard to escape the conclusion that the voters have been betrayed.

Now, of course, we are left with a council in turmoil with no single party having an overall majority. That situation will still exist even after the forthcoming Earcroft by-election where a double Labour win would still see them enjoying only the same number of seats as the Tories and Lib Dems combined.

Today we learn that Labour are trying to broker deals with opposition parties and separate talks between the Tories, Lib Dems and Independents are also going on.

The Blackburn with Darwen area has made real progress in the past few years with improvements in the town centre and the Capita initiative amongst its key achievements. Of course, not everything has been rosy in the Labour garden but at least the district seems to be moving forward.

This momentum must continue and the prospect of a coalition, while not necessarily jeopardising that progress, does at least pose a challenge to it.

The answer in the short to mid term must be for the major parties to come together, form a responsible alliance and build on the area's progress.

The answer for the Lib Dems and Tories is NOT to climb into bed with the six breakaway councillors who have already shown that they cannot be counted on as reliable partners.

This is not the time for opportunism and personal ambition. This is the time for people to step forward in the best interests of Blackburn and Darwen.