Caerphilly’s Labour MP Wayne David has lodged a former complaint with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales over a Caerphilly Council publication.
Mr David claims a leaflet distributed by the council in the Bargoed area explaining the regeneration of the town centre unfairly promotes councillors Lindsay Whittle and Ron Davies – who are both standing in May’s Assembly election for Plaid Cymru.
The MP has written to the ombudsman and has asked that an inquiry be conducted into the publication from Caerphilly County Borough Council.
Mr David said: “The Welsh Assembly elections are less than six weeks away and the council has deliberately chosen this time to shamelessly promote two of its leading councillors who are candidates for the Assembly election. In other words, it appears that the Plaid Cymru-led council is using public money to promote two of its candidates for the Welsh Assembly.
“It cannot be coincidence that the council has chosen this particular time to distribute the pamphlet to every house in Bargoed. And it cannot be coincidence that the two councillors that appear on the front page of the publication are two Plaid Cymru candidates for the election in May.
“I would suggest that this leaflet is a blatant attempt at electioneering. I am asking the ombudsman to consider whether it is appropriate for the Plaid Cymru-led council to be financing a leaflet designed to promote two Plaid Cymru candidates so close to the election.”
A spokesman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said it would not be appropriate to comment in light of the complaint.
If it was a Labour run council, they would do EXACTLY the same. Hypocrisy.
BTW – Plaid's record in council speaks for itself, they don't have to "advertise" it for it to be an advert 😉
This was delivered before the official election period, and it was the Plaid councillors that made it happen – therefore, surely the council is perfectly within its right to design a leaflet showcasing their achievements?
If it was Labour councillor who had brought 300 jobs to Caerphilly, then I would expect the council leaflet to be telling me about it too.
This is just petty politics from the Labour party
Mind you, poor Plaid need all the publicity they can get. Thirty points behind Labour in the polls, and having gone backwards since their disastrous Party Conference last month…looks like the Council have taken pity on them and decided to lend them a hand at ratepayers' expense!
Perhaps the Caerffili Labour candidate should consider the articel published in the April edition of Local View in the features section a feature on Greater Powers for the Assembly. Delivered to over 11,250 homes in Caerffili!
No doubt this will feature in the electoral return for costs incurred.
I am amused by the furore over this and would like to make the following, two, observations,
1) Yes, this does appear to be electioneering, by Plaid Cymru, at public expense.
2) I agree with 'Al' that if the council was labour run they would have done exactly the same, i.e. used a council leaflet to trumpet whatever projects they were currently proud of.
This is a systemic problem with the way Caerffili County Borough Council is run and one which I intend to address if I am elected as an independent councillor next year. In the meantime I wish Lindsay, Jeff and Ron all the best in their campaigns. I know and respect them all but I do wish they would engage in discussion on what they would do in the next 4 years as Assembly Members, rather than the sterile, retrospective arguments engaged in thus far.
Plaid seem to have forgotten their bitter opposition to all these initiatives, originaly taken by the Labour controlled Council, that they are now taking credit for [remember Lindsay Whittle's complaint about a new chair for the Council Leader – I wonder if he has used it himself ? or does he only use it if Ron Davies is not there?] but it has been obvious for some time that the Council's own house magazine and press releases have been directed to promoting Plaid, particularly the two Assembly Candidates. It may be just the game of politicking but is it fair that the taxpayer should foot the bill?
The comment posted here by a local Councillor, in respect to the LOCAL VIEW article by our Assembly Memeber Jeff Cuthbert had nothing, so far as I aware, to do with the Assembly Election, it relates to greater power for the Assembly, and sets out some of the areas where that greater power and responsibility would be of benefit to the Welsh people. He goes on to encourage Welsh People to use their votes in this democracy.At no time does he encourage people to vote for him or indeed to vote Labour. How on earth anyone, let alone an elected local councillor can presume anything `political` or `electioneering` from this article.
I presume this Plaid Cymru Councillor agrees with every word said by Jeff Cuthbert in his article? perhaps he can let us all know what your persective of the issues in the article arei, or, is he out of step with the rest of his party?. who, I understand broadly agrees with Jeff.