Opposition Group meet to discuss ‘no confidence’ votes, 'extraordinary meeting must be held'

The leader of the Plaid Cymru Opposition Group on Carmarthenshire Council, Councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths, has announced his group will be meeting on Monday (3rd February) to discuss presenting motions of no confidence in three members of the Council’s Executive Board (Leader Kevin Madge, Former Leader Meryl Gravell and Deputy Leader Pam Palmer).

The Plaid group will also be discussing no confidence motions in two of the Council’s most senior officials, namely the Chief Executive, Mark James, and the Head of Administration and Law, Linda Rees Jones.

Plaid Cymru is the largest group on the council with 28 elected Councillors. It sits, however, as the opposition group to a Labour and Independent coalition which runs the County Council.

The no confidence calls have come following two damaging Wales Audit Office reports which state the Council acted unlawfully in relation to two matters of a libel indemnity and pension arrangements for the authority’s Chief Executive. The reports are highly critical of the way in which information was presented by senior council officers to the Executive Board, and how members of the Executive Board took decisions to spend tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money without sufficient information.

Councillor Hughes-Griffiths strongly criticised the Labour Leader of the Council, Councillor Kevin Madge, for his complete lack of leadership in the matter, claiming that the Leader should have at the very least suspended the council officers pending further investigation.

Councillor Peter Hughes-Griffiths said:

“It is imperative that these two extremely damaging reports are discussed as a matter of urgency. Carmarthenshire residents deserve answers and the council group I lead is not prepared to wait.”

“We cannot go into a meeting to discuss the authority’s budget next month when we have no confidence in the political leadership and some of the council’s senior staff.”

“Carmarthenshire Council has been bereft of political leadership which has sadly continued since the publication of these reports. It appears that every member of the Executive Board has gone into hiding and has not taken an ounce of responsibility for their actions.”

“If I was leading this authority I would have at the very least suspended senior officers pending further investigation. It is the bare minimum which should be done given the seriousness of the Auditor’s findings. Furthermore, if I was responsible for spending tens of thousands of pounds unlawfully, I would do the honourable thing and stand down.”

“The opposition group will meet on Monday evening to discuss presenting motions of no confidence against three Executive Board members and two senior officers. There is overwhelming evidence from the Wales Audit Office to say these people cannot continue in their posts.”

“I emphasise that an extraordinary meeting must be held. The people of Carmarthenshire will rightly expect their local councillor – irrespective of political party – to agree to this meeting without hesitation.”

Sean Rees, Plaid Llanelli Press Officer added:

“Since the publication of these very damaging Wales Audit Office reports last week, the Plaid offices in Ammanford and Llanelli have been innundated with concerned residents within the locality who clearly deserve answers and transparency about these unlawful payments.”

“There is no doubt that public confidence in the County Council is now at an all time low. Following this latest scandal, the Welsh Government should now urgently take action and put Carmarthenshire County Council into special measures. Local residents in communities throughout Carmarthenshire really deserve so much better”.