The leadership of the Labour group on Caerphilly County Borough Council has hit back at criticism levelled at it by two councillors who quit the party.
Last month, Blackwood councillors Allan Rees and Nigel Dix both resigned from the Labour group and are now serving as independent councillors.
In a strongly-worded statement, Cllr Rees accused the Labour group of “nepotism and cronyism” and claiming that council leaders relied too much on officers.
In a rebuttal, a Labour group spokesperson said: “These resignations are the worst kind of vanity, gesture politics. Though Cllrs Rees and Dix took part in the recent Labour leadership election, they refuse to abide by Labour members’ democratic decision.”
Council leader Keith Reynolds said: “While I regret their mistaken decision to quit the Labour Party, I believe that these councillors are betraying Blackwood residents’ mandate.
“Cllrs Rees and Dix were elected to represent Blackwood as Labour councillors.
“They are clearly now honour-bound to resign their seats and seek re-election as independent councillors.”
Cllr Dix, who plans to set up a political party with Cllr Rees, said Cllr Reynolds was unable to take constructive criticism about the group’s policies.
He said: “If I went to group and wanted to bring something up it would be ‘why are you asking questions? Don’t you trust us?’
“With the best will in the world none of us are infallible and it is my job as a councillor to make sure policies are scrutinised so that they are in the interests of the people in the county borough.”