It was only a matter of time until hostilities between the local Labour and Plaid Cymru groups reignited ahead of this year’s council elections in May.
Plaid has come out on the attack stating that a Labour controlled council would cost taxpayers more, highlighting their policy of a 0% increase on council tax compared to neighbouring Rhondda Cynon Taf’s 2.49% increase.
The party claims Caerphilly residents living in a Band D property will pay £261 less compared to those in RCT.
The Band D rate – on which all bills are calculated – will be £1,148 in RCT for 2012/13 compared to £897 in Caerphilly.
Councillor Colin Mann, Plaid deputy leader and cabinet member for corporate finance, said: “The evidence is there in black and white. A Labour run council costs you more. Caerphilly residents have the fourth lowest council tax in Wales while RCT’s charges are among the highest.
“Thanks to the support of employees across the authority we have managed to reduce the cost of delivering services while maintaining frontline services. In three years we have managed to make efficiency savings of £17m in three years.
“My cabinet colleagues have worked hard to make the savings in their own service areas and divert money to where it is most needed and effective.”
Critics of Plaid Cymru in Caerphilly point to increases in other charges, such as bulk waste disposal and burial charges.
Caerphilly MP Wayne David has led the charge for his Labour colleagues branding Plaid “Tories in disguise” and that the local Plaid group had “abandoned any social conscience they may have had”.
He said: “Nobody believes that there should be big rises in the Council tax but without any rise whatsoever, if the Nationalists win May’s election, then people will face either deep cuts which will hit the weakest or huge council tax hikes.”
Its a bit like the pot calling the kettle black with Wayne david accusing Plaid of being Tories in disguise. New Labour of which he was a proud member abandoned socailism and were content to follow Tony Blair into singing from the Tory Hymnsheet for their 13 years in office. Most political commentators see Plaid s being left of Labour, I wonder how the Labour Party will explain the fiasco over the closure of he Miners and its replacement by a cottage hospital?.
And I wonder how Plaid Cymru local Councillors will explain their total satisfaction with this cottage hospital, which satisfactions they have expressed publicly in the press and on these pages. In fact, their leader Alan Pritchard has castigated those who critisised any lack of facilities at the hospital saying that it is what we want and what we need to replace the Miners Hospital.
Lindsay Whittle AM, former Plaid Cymru leader of Caerphilly council was accused of ` being out of step with the public` on his critisism of the lack of 24 hour A&E at the unit, but it turns out he was only out of step with his party colleagues he left behind at Caerphilly Council and very much `in tune` with the public on this point.