Councillors overwhelmingly rejected a motion of no confidence in Caerphilly Council leader Harry Andrews at a meeting on Tuesday.
The motion was lost with 43 votes against and 15 votes in favour.
The opposition Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly County Borough Council tabled the motion in response to the fallout from a critical Wales Audit Office report into pay rises for senior council officers.
Pay rises of up to 30% for 21 senior council bosses were agreed by a secret committee of councillors in September 2012 in a move now deemed unlawful by Assistant Auditor General Anthony Barrett.
The pay rises caused huge anger among staff and the public and forced the council to vote through a compromise deal scrapping the original decision.
Council chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan was suspended after the publication of the report and police are also carrying out an investigation.
The ruling Labour group had called the motion a “desperate distraction” prior to the meeting and the strength of feeling among Labour councillors in supporting their leader was tangible.
Plaid councillors were at pains though to point out the motion was not a personal attack on Cllr Andrews. Something Labour members felt was not accurate.
The motion, read out by Plaid leader Colin Mann, said: “That this council has no confidence in the leadership of the council as carried out by the leader, Councillor Harry Andrews.
“The undersigned members call upon the Mayor to convene a special meeting of the council at the earliest possible convenience.”
Former council leader Lindsay Whittle, who is a Plaid AM for South Wales East as well as a Penyrheol councillor, was the first to speak after Cllr Mann.
Mr Whittle said: “I have been in politics as an elected representative for 38 years and I have never, never attacked anybody personally – it’s not my style, I never do it.
“I rise today not attacking Cllr Andrews personally. He is a man of integrity, honour and I’ve known him since 1976 and I know he is a man of integrity.”
But Mr Whittle added: We have an authority in disrepute and this cannot be allowed to continue. This has been a PR disaster.
“Facebook has been awash with it, Twitter has gone rampant, we are on TV and radio constantly. We are regard as one of the worst local authorities with Welsh national press and British national press attacking us.
“A politician I despise – Enoch Powell – said all political careers end in failure.
“I don’t want Harry Andrews’ to end in failure and urge him to consider his position very carefully and decide the time is right to step down.”
A raft of Labour councillors stood up during the meeting to vigorously defend their leader.
Cllr Keith Reynolds, deputy leader of council described Cllr Andrews as a man of vision.
He said: “I don’t buy for one second that every member of the Plaid group supports this motion of no confidence in front of us.
“This is a pathetic attempt by some to tarnish the reputation of someone who has given two thirds of his life – 46 years – to public service and is a leader of enormous integrity, who is respected across the political spectrum and throughout local government.”
During the debate, councillors on both sides were repeatedly warned by the council’s new monitoring officer Gail Williams and the Mayor not to stray into issues that could prejudice any ongoing investigations. This provoked several heated exchanges.
After the result of the vote was read out, members gave Cllr Andrews a standing ovation and a round of applause.
Speaking after the vote Cllr Andrews read out a list of projects the council were currently working on and said vowed to make progress in restoring the council’s reputation.
He said: “We have got some serious work to do in this council – each and every one of us.
“I believe that the people in Caerphilly, of this local authority, will put their shoulder to the wheel and and I am convinced there will be progress made.”
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- Caerphilly Council managers’ pay rises to be investigated, Labour promises
- Caerphilly Labour councillor reported to Public Services Ombudsman
- Transparency needed, says First Minister, after Caerphilly Council pay row
- Plaid Cymru councillor reported to Public Services Ombudsman in pay row
- Labour councillor cleared by Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
- ‘Compromise’ voted for in Caerphilly Council pay row
- Fresh war of words over Caerphilly Council pay deal
- Decision to give Caerphilly Council bosses huge pay rises deemed “unlawful” by Wales Audit Office
- Police launch investigation into Caerphilly Council pay rises
- Caerphilly Council paid £7,000 for experts’ advice in pay row
- Caerphilly Council chief executive suspended in wake of Wales Audit Office report into pay row
- Caerphilly Council appoints acting chief executive in wake of pay scandal
- Plaid and Labour point finger at each other over damning Wales Audit Office report
- Caerphilly County Borough Council sets up own investigation into pay row
This 'no confidence vote' was a foregone conclusion and a waste of council time. Let's see what the police investigation turns up regarding the events surrounding the absurd pay rises. It is only then that people will be able to gain a clearer picture of the murky dealings that took place at the end of last year.
In a couple of years there will be a real vote, the council elections, which will be a far stiffer test for all involved in the pay scandal.
The result was compelling and never in doubt. One third of elected Plaid members didn't vote for their own motion. A complete farce from start to finish.
As cilla black used to sing: "Surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes".
NOT!!
I still want to know why perkins and hardacre were not suspended at the same time as o'sullivan (on FULL pay)?
Perhaps the observer can find out for the general public.
more muck slinging, more cover ups, more excuses, while the highest paid still snout cream off the top to featherbed their pays. In a few years a number of senior managers will leave with huge pensions, and We the public have to fund them, and the lowest paid are told they have to work until 66 +67 yrs of age to claim a pension, as they cannot survive on the pittance paid by this self serving council.
A disgrace for the working people of Caerphilly, i for one will never waste my time at the polling station again.
Why is it always the wealthy who get the pay rises while they sit in their cosy offices playing tiddlywinks and the people out in all weathers doing the work get nothing! They sit there get ridiculous salaries just for putting their signature to a piece of paper they know nothing about! If you asked them what they were signing for they would not know! All the hardwork is done at ground level and that's where the pay rises should go!
Yawn!Yawn! What a big waste of time. I'll bet they will all claim for attending the meeting. The trouble with the two party system in the valleys (Plaid & Labour) is that they constantly battle against each other and the people become apathetic and don't vote. The investigation should identify the guilty,and, irrespective of their position they should be punished with the full force of the law.
Tom, I agree, but will it ever happen????