UPDATE: New leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council elected
Plaid Cymru councillors on Caerphilly County Borough Council have nominated deputy leader Allan Pritchard as the person they want to be the new leader of the council.
Cllr Pritchard, who has served as deputy leader and cabinet member for human resources and constitutional affairs, was chosen by the Plaid group on Monday following Lindsay Whittle’s decision to step down as leader after his election to the Assembly.
He said: “I’m delighted at the confidence shown in me by fellow members of the Plaid group. It would be a real honour to follow Lindsay who has been a tremendous leader of Caerphilly County Borough. I’m really looking forward to following in his footsteps and serving the people of the county borough.
“The Plaid group will have an excellent record to put before the people at next year’s council elections. Caerphilly is the only local authority in Wales not to increase council tax bills this year. Frontline services have been maintained despite the difficult economic times and we have made efficiency savings without cutting the salaries of council workers, unlike some neighbouring Labour-run authorities.”
Cllr Pritchard’s name will be put forward by Plaid at a special council meeting on Tuesday to formally succeed Lindsay Whittle as council leader.
I thought the Plaid group would be nominating Ron Davies to become council leader. They wholeheartedly supported him throughout his failed attempt to become the Caerphilly AM so why not endorse his candidature for council leader? They did after all tell their canvassers in the recent election to compare Ron Davies to a "thoroughbred" as contrasted with Labour's Jeff Cuthbert who was labelled a "three legged carthorse".
Questions need to be answered by Plaid about why they have decided against installing Ron Davies into the top job after endorsing him so strongly earleir this month. Does anybody else detect mass disquiet in the Plaid ranks over the selection of their Assembly candidate? I think its obvious that Plaid are in meltdown over the strong Labour vote on May 5th. Plaid tried to buy the electorate by investing mass resources into the constituency and the people of Caerphilly rejected them. I congratulate Allan Pritchard on his nomination from the Plaid group. At least he'll stick by his Party unlike somebody else I could mention.
Jemes-
I dont think the issue is so much about Plaid Cymru having decided who will lead them into next years local elections, but more the realisation that they have sidelined and sideptepped grasping a golden opportunity to appoint the most experienced and consumate politician amongst them to the post of leader. FACT.
Plaid Cymru could have learnt a lot from Ron Davies as a leader, but there again, history demonstrates most of the movers and shakers of this `perochial` political group will act in their usual `partisan`way and not effect the changes which make them a, securely electable group, with a proper local mandate to run Caerphilly Council
But, this is entirely a matter for them, and we must resopect thier actions, the general public, have no right to influence it but we do have a right to critisis it and comment on it, as it has the potential to impact on our everyday lives as citizens of the borough.