The leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cllr Keith Reynolds, has announced he is standing down in May after 38 years in local government because of health issues.
The council said “emerging” health issues were the reason behind the Labour councillor making the decision ahead of the elections on May 4.
Cllr Reynolds said: “I am extremely proud and honoured to have represented the community of Aberbargoed for the last four decades and I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who supported me throughout this time.
“I have also had the honour of serving as the Leader of Council for the past three years and I would like to thank my fellow councillors, staff across the authority and our partner organisations for their support too.
“However, after much consideration and discussions with my family, it is clear that the time is now right for me to move on so that I can focus on my health and spend more time with my wife, our sons and our grandchildren.”
Chris Burns, Caerphilly Council’s Interim Chief Executive, said: “Keith has been an outstanding public servant and has always had an unrelenting drive and determination to do his very best for the local community. He has been a great ambassador for the authority and the Caerphilly county borough as a whole and it is with great sadness that we accept his intentions to step down.
“On behalf of all the staff in the council, I would like to thank Keith for his outstanding contribution and wish him all the very best for the future.”
The Welsh Local Government Association also paid tribute to Cllr Reynolds’ work. Its leaders, Cllr Bob Wellington, added: “We are sorry to hear about his emerging health issues and wish him well. As the WLGA’s Anti-Poverty and Welfare Reform Spokesperson, Keith has played a central role in representing Wales’ councils and, crucially, Wales’ communities in making the case the Government to seek to mitigate the impact of welfare reform on the most vulnerable in our society.
“On behalf of WLGA colleagues, I would like to sincerely thank Keith for his contribution over the years and extend our highest regards to him.”
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney MP Gerald Jones, who served as a councillor alongside Cllr Reynolds, said: “Keith has been a passionate advocate for his community for almost 40 years. I had the privilege of working with him for over 20 years and I am grateful for his friendship and his support, particularly in my early years as a councillor. I wish him and his wife Sheila all the very best for the future.”
Starting his political career in 1979, Cllr Keith Reynolds has served for 38 years. Married to Sheila for 48 years, they have two sons, four grandsons and two step grandsons.
Pay scandal and leadership controversy
Cllr Reynolds has recently faced criticism of his leadership style with Labour councillors Nigel Dix and Allan Rees resigning from the group in protest.
He was also at the centre of the controversy regarding the decision to award 20 senior council bosses secret pay rises of up to nearly 30%. The long-running scandal has cost the local authority around £2.5 million and is still ongoing with the council’s chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan, deputy chief executive Nigel Barnett and head of legal Daniel Perkins all on paid leave pending a disciplinary investigation.
Cllr Reynolds, who was then deputy leader, was a member of a secret sub-committee of five councillors which approved the pay rises back in September 2012. The decision to do so, based on a report penned by Mr O’Sullivan, was later deemed unlawful by the Wales Audit Office.
An anonymous letter, sent to all Labour councillors recently, warned the party that the scandal would be the number one issue for Plaid Cymru and UKIP in the upcoming election and also criticised the leadership of the Labour group.
The leaked letter says: “At that meeting one Plaid member and four Labour cabinet members, it was agreed to raise the chief officers’ pay by between £20,000 and £30,000, increasing their pay by larger amounts than most council workers earn in a year.
“Three of the four Labour cabinet members who agreed these pay rises are still cabinet members – Christine Forehead, David Poole and Keith Reynolds.
“Remember this was a secret meeting that Labour backbenchers were not consulted on. Labour backbenchers were not trusted with this information by their own leadership.
“Despite this lack of trust of backbenchers, you backbenchers have promoted two of them. David Poole is now the deputy leader and Keith Reynolds is the leader. This shows backbench support for people who do not trust backbenchers.
“Christine Forehead, David Poole and Keith Reynolds did not ask you if it was OK to offer a £30,000 rise in pay. If they had asked, would you have agreed it?.
“They did not ask the unions if it was OK to offer a £30,000 rise in pay. If they had asked, would the unions have agreed it?
“They did not ask the people of Caerphilly if it was OK to offer a £30,000 rise in pay. If they had asked, would the people of Caerphilly have agreed it?
“Why do you continue to show support for people who didn’t trust you?
“You will soon be asking people to vote for you. How can people trust you when you continue to support these people who show no Labour values.
“This will be the number one issue for Plaid Cymru and UKIP in the coming election, and you have no way of defending yourself on this issue because you continue to support the very people who show no concern for you.”