‘Labour in Crisis in Carmarthenshire’

Carmarthenshire branch in ‘special measures’ and controlled from Cardiff, says Plaid.

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Rhodri Glyn Thomas has accused the Labour party in Carmarthenshire of being in crisis following the way in which it is dealing with the Wales Audit Office reports into the County Council.

Two ‘Reports in the Public Interest’ published by the Wales Audit Office at the end of January found that Carmarthenshire Council acted unlawfully on two matters. Firstly, the decision of the executive board to cover the legal costs of the Chief Executive’s libel counter-claim and secondly, the decision of the executive board to pay an additional “supplement” to the Chief Executive’s pay instead of making those payments into the pension fund.

In his statement today the Carmarthen East & Dinefwr AM cited examples of the different ways in which the Labour party has responded to damaging Public Interest Reports in Caerphilly, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire councils. Rhodri Glyn Thomas said the Labour party in Carmarthenshire was more interested in trying to preserve its control of the council, than it was in doing the right thing for county taxpayers.

Mr Thomas added that Labour supporters in Carmarthenshire are rightly appalled that the leadership of the party has lost its moral compass in allowing one of the county’s top earners to avoid tax.

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Rhodri Glyn Thomas said:

“The Labour leader of Caerphilly Council suspended its chief executive just two days after the Wales Audit Office reports were published. In Pembrokeshire council, the Labour opposition group leader called for the immediate suspension of the council’s chief executive the very day the report was published.

“In Carmarthenshire, however, eleven days have now passed since the Audit Office published its damaging reports and the Labour leader of the council, on behalf of his 21 fellow Labour councillors, has done nothing but pledge his full support for the council’s senior officers despite the Auditor stating unlawful processes have taken place.

“Instead of taking decisive action and triggering a full investigation, the Labour council leader has instead issued personal attacks on his political opponents and has tried to undermine the integrity of the Auditor by publishing selective information. It seems the party is more interested in preserving its supposed control of the council, than it is doing the right thing for county taxpayers.

“My constituents are rightly angry by what has gone on in County Hall. Labour supporters throughout Carmarthenshire – and indeed throughout Wales – will be appalled that their party leader enabled one of the county’s top earners to avoid tax. The Labour party in Carmarthenshire has lost its moral compass.

“As a result of gross incompetence, the Carmarthenshire Labour party has become isolated from reality, and is in the equivalent of ‘special measures’ now that the party’s Cardiff headquarters is involved and running the show.

“Plaid Cymru representatives have said for the best part of two weeks – if we had sanctioned unlawful payments worth over £55,000 with public money, we would suspend the officers involved and do the honourable thing and stand down.

“With the Carmarthenshire Labour party in crisis and now being controlled from Cardiff, Plaid Cymru hopes county residents will start to see some decisive action instead of this defiance, dithering and delay they’ve put up with for almost two weeks.”