Council Leader’s Final Cabinet Meeting

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader David Simpson has confirmed his intention to stand down next month, saying his seven-year tenure has been “an honour of a lifetime”.

Cllr Simpson, Leader since May 2017, will not seek re-election as Leader of the Council at the Annual General Meeting in May.

Lampeter Velfrey councillor Cllr Simpson became leader in 2017, after leaving the-then ruling IPPG group after losing confidence in the way cabinet was being run by Cllr Jamie Adams, the leader at the time.

Chairing his final Cabinet meeting as Leader on April 22nd, Cllr Simpson said he was looking forward to spending more time with his family.

Cllr Simpson said: “Today will be my final Cabinet meeting as leader of Pembrokeshire County Council; I will not be seeking re-election at next month’s AGM,” adding: “I would like to thank my fellow Cabinet members for their commitment to their roles and their support to me personally over the last seven years, I could not have wished for a harder-working or more dedicated cabinet.

“I also want to put on record my gratitude and thanks to all council staff for their hard work across all departments.

“I know just how dedicated these staff are, striving to improve lives here in Pembrokeshire.

“I must also thank the people of Pembrokeshire.

“It has been the honour of a lifetime to be the Leader of your council and the best part of the job has been meeting so many people who are committed to making this county a better place to live and work.”

Cllr Simpson will continue to serve as the county councillor for Lampeter Velfrey.

A new leader of Pembrokeshire County Council will be elected at the AGM on Friday May 10th.

Leadership challenge

Cllr Simpson had faced a narrowly-defeated challenge to his leadership last May.

An Extraordinary Meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, on May 18th, 2023, considered a Notice of Motion of no confidence in the Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor David Simpson.

The Notice of Motion was submitted by Councillor Jamie Adams on behalf of the Independent Group, with Newport and Dinas Independent Group member Cllr Huw Murphy nominated as his replacement if the no-confidence call was carried.

That no-confidence vote was 29 for, 31 against.

During his speech before the no-confidence vote, Cllr Simpson said: “When I first became leader, there were many changes that needed to be made, some of them not so popular. We all know that we cannot please all of the people, all of the time and there will and should be healthy debate in the chamber.

“However, the ultimate goal should always be to make our county a place that we are proud to live in, knowing that as members, we have made the right decisions for all of our futures.”