A motion of no confidence in Caerphilly Council leader Harry Andrews will be heard at a council meeting on April 23.
The motion, tabled by the opposition Plaid Cymru group, states: “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.”
The council’s new Monitoring Officer Gail Williams has asked for the item to be added to the agenda of full council on Tuesday, April 23.
The Plaid Cymru group agreed the course of action in the wake of the suspension of the chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan.
Mr O’Sullivan was suspended after a report by the Wales Audit Office found the decision to award huge pay rises to 21 senior bosses was unlawful. Police are also carrying out an investigation.
Councillor Colin Mann, leader of the Plaid Cymru group, said: “I have nothing personally against Councillor Andrews. This motion is not about personality.
“He as the leader and his cabinet must accept full responsibility for the shambles which has brought huge embarrassment on the council. Councillor Andrews has apologised on behalf of the Labour group but this whole episode happened on his watch and he has to take responsibility. The unlawful decision, which led to the pay deal, could not have happened without the say-so of Councillor Andrews and the Labour cabinet.
“Backbench Labour councillors have a choice now – they can either faithfully support their leader or they can help restore public confidence in this council, accept this episode was a disastrous failing by their leader and that he should step down.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Andrews has attacked Plaid Cymru regional AM Jocelyn Davies for her criticism of the way the pay rise row was handled.
The Labour group said that Ms Davies has failed to acknowledge the council had agreed a compromise deal reducing the pay rises and that the Labour group had already apologised for the decision.
They also accused her of failing to mention that her own Plaid Cymru administration at Caerphilly Council had discussed the same senior officers’ pay rise in March 2012 – but delayed making the pay award until after the May 2012 local government election, which they then lost to Labour.
Cllr Andrews said: “It’s very disappointing that Jocelyn Davies has tried to mask her own party’s dire record when they controlled Caerphilly Council by criticising our Labour administration. We’ve taken robust action to address the Wales Audit Office’s report – suspending the chief executive and setting up an Investigation and Disciplinary Committee to urgently look into the issues raised.
“Caerphilly Council residents have a right to expect that their local Assembly Members should support our local authority in this work. I hope Ms Davies will in future try to work in the public’s interest, rather than narrow party interest.”
- Caerphilly Council bosses under fire over pay increase
- Caerphilly Council staff voice anger at managers’ pay increase
- Plaid Cymru want Caerphilly Council bosses’ pay hike reversed
- 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 whole business has been handled very badly to date and the general public are not happy at all. Lets hope the police and sort it out.
O'Sullivan who was suspended on FULL PAY should not have been the only one suspended and we need an explanation why other individuals are still in their post?
We're all aware that the Labour members on the committee supported the original decision to increase senior salaries. Now for once and for all can we hear off Cllr James Fussell, the Plaid member on the renumeration committee whether he voted against the proposals? Time to speak Mr Fussell!!
With two investigations ongoing, I am not sure what a no confidence vote would achieve at this time. Seems like political opportunism to me and it does annoy that Plaid consistently forget their role in this matter.
While there is no evidence which way the votes went at the time, the Plaid councillor had ample time to raise the alarm and did not do so.
There has never been so much chaos in any constituent Council forming the current Caerphilly county borough area than there is now.
It is easy to see how the council have got themselves into this mess, it is also quite easy to see how they could get out of it, but, with such contempt, patronising disregard for the electorate, a total lack of honest and meaningful information being made available to the citizens of the borough by Councillors on the subjects of, secret surveillance of individual members of the public, the pay hike, the suspension issues, the fact some senior Council officers were seen to be, and found to be, by the Auditor General, up to their neck in the same alleged misfeasance in the way it allowed council meetings to be conducted and yet still in the roles which lead Councillors by the nose is a public disgrace.
I tell you something – I have no confidence in Harry Andrews' ability to get his story straight. If he has proof that Plaid knew that a pay rise was on the cards for senior council officials while they had control of the council then he should publish it.
However, I strongly suspect there is no proof because as with their shameless muck-spreading in the direction of councillor James Fussell when they should have been taking stock of a very serious situation, it is probably nothing but smoke and mirrors designed to get them off the hook.
When is this council going to take responsibility and stop childishly looking to others to take the blame? Mr Andrews – you are in control of the council so start acting like it for God's sake!!
If you're unwilling to take the work-load that comes with your handsome salary and perks Mr Andrews, please step aside. The same goes for your party colleagues who have collectively misread the gravity of this situation and have been found wanting throughout this sorry episode.
The no confidence motion is a pretty futile piece of party politics which the public, judging from their comments to this on-line paper, have seen through immediately.
Let there be an end to secret meetings and the exemption of the press and public from meetings of the full council. Also let the manner in which votes are cast, and by whom, be recorded so that the public can properly scrutinise how their money is spent.
My prediction is that Harry Andrews, the Leader of CCBC, will survive this vote. It is far more important that Labour members, who comprise most of the council, now put this rickety house in order for the future.
I await further developments, starting with the findings of the Avon & Somerset Police enquiry, with interest.
Not wishing, in any way at all, to prejudge the outcome of the Avon & Sumerset Police Force investigations into the reported `unlawful1 activity` besetting the Caerphilly council, it is difficult to imagine a situation whereby, after the completed investigation, the Avon Police find that no `misfeasance in public office` has happened.
In such a situation, does this leave the office of the Auditor General for Wales and its findings, ( and they are the experts in this field) open to serious scrutiny and concern?, would such a situation mean that the original pay hike decisions stand?, the unlawful meeting was nothing of the sort?, the dodgy report allegations leaves the door open for the suspended Chief Executive to sue everyone involved including his employer Caerphilly Council ( i.e. hit its ratepayers in the pocket), and, any other unlawful activity which the Auditor General recognised in his report has no merit in its judgement and findings, at all. Or, will the Avon Police find that there has been unlawful activity, and without any further reference to politicians, ( for they were all involved in the first place) issues arrest warrants and make charges. The Council offices however have vast expanses of carpets under which such issues can be swept.
Tony (2nd April) asks for clarification on James Fussell. The councillor has publicly stated and appeared in print to say that he DID NOT vote for the pay rise.
Another basic point. There were five councillors on the committee, four of them Labour. It is simple maths that four out of five makes a huge majority. In other words, regardless of what James Fussell did, or did not, do the Labour members had the power to vote through the increases.
It has now been stated in a response to a Freedom of Information request that the whole of the Labour Cabinet of 10 members knew about the proposed pay rises before they went to the committee of five.
How difficult is it to work out where the responsibility lies? – with Labour!
We all know that the Labour members voted for the original deal but the question I am looking for is simple. Did James Fussell vote for or against? If he voted against then he and Plaid Cymru are in the clear. If he failed to vote against or voted for it then Plaid have to take the blame too. Why doesn't he explicitly say which way he voted??