HIS council may be cutting hundreds of jobs but Hampshire County leader Ken Thornber has decided to beef up the size of the decision-making Cabinet by creating a new post for Basingstoke North West member Stephen Reid.

The Conservative councillor took on the post of executive lead member for strategic development from January 1 after being offered the role by Cllr Thornber.

Cllr Reid said the post will involve finding ways of leading the local authority through the economic downturn.

The appointment will cost the taxpayer extra cash, with Cabinet members receiving a special responsibility allowance of more than £17,000 a year. However, Cllr Reid, who also sits on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said the savings he will help to create will more than outweigh that figure.

He told The Gazette: “Ken has asked me to join the Cabinet on the county council with responsibility for strategic development.

“What it means is trying to find ways of reorganising, restructuring and repositioning the council so we can keep our services as good as possible, and at the same time trying to cut spending.

“It is a great pleasure to take this position. I have known Ken for longer than either of us would care to remember, so I am proud to be able to work with him on this important portfolio.”

But the appointment has met with criticism from the council’s Liberal Democrat opposition. Cllr Brian Gurden, who represents the Basingstoke South East division, accused the Tories of creating “jobs for the boys”.

He said: “When the county council is reducing budgets and shedding many hundreds of jobs, now is not the time to inc-rease the size of the Cabinet. Now is not the time to create another job for a Conserva-tive backbencher at the taxpayers’ expense.

“It is not so long ago that with a great fanfare on saving cash, a Cabinet post was axed, only to be replaced by two assistant Cabinet members.

“The only jobs growth at Hampshire County Council is jobs for the boys for Conservative councillors.”

But Cllr Reid responded: “The point is, if I do the job correctly then the savings I make will more than make up for the cost of the position.”

In a letter to all county councillors, Cllr Thornber said: “We need to plan for, and direct, the strategic development of the county council of Hampshire which reaches into every element of our present services and perhaps new services that have not yet been contemplated. This will be an exciting opportunity for us all.”