Monday 24 February 2014

Updated; Council scandals - Y Byd ar Bedwar investigates


Update - After the programme;

Well done to Y Byd ar Bedwar for a excellent programme. Also well done to Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM and Plaid Cllrs Darren Price and Sian Thomas.

Cllr Thomas was the previous Chair of the Council and recounted how her position was continually compromised by remarks and comments from Mark James sitting by her side during meetings. It was obvious to observers that this went on but I'm glad she's spoken out.

Rhodri Glyn Thomas brought up the Returning Officer fees 'advance payment' issue, which is yet another scandal.

I believe several more scandals will be fully exposed before this is all over with.

Cllr Price identified Mr James as the 'root cause' of the problems since he (Cllr Price) had become a councillor in 2012. He said Mr James should resign.

Both Mr James and Kevin Madge refused to be interviewed for the programme and when approached by Gwyn Loader, the reporter, scuttled off saying all will be revealed on Thursday...

The Auditor, Anthony Barrett was interviewed and stood by his findings; he is clearly in no doubt that the pension and libel payments were unlawful.

Great contribution from Cneifiwr of course, who has now abandoned his anonymity. Well done Mr Vale.
I was on the programme as well.

I will be back in the Public Gallery on Thursday, 10am.

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If you can, tune in to S4C tomorrow (Tuesday) night, 9.30pm, for Y Byd ar Bedwar, the Welsh current affairs programme which has been investigating the current scandals in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. There will be English subtitles.

The unlawful payments are due to be discussed in County Hall, Carmarthen on Thursday, starting at 10am. My previous post links to the Agenda and I have provided some comment and opinion of my own.

Chief Executive Mark James (pictured below) has now 'stepped aside' from his post and Gloucestershire Police are investigating the findings of the Wales Audit Office reports concerning the libel indemnity and the pension arrangements.

Pic; Y Byd ar Bedwar; Mr James doorstepped at County Hall

"Y Byd ar Bedwar investigates the scandal that has shaken two councils in West Wales.

According to the Wales Audit Office, tens of thousands of pounds from the public purse has been spent illegally.



We will be in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire researching these claims and challenging those avoiding Y Byd ar Bedwar’s questions."

(Programme preview here)


(Pic; Y Byd ar Bedwar - County Hall)

7 comments:

Wavell said...

Only one Police Van ?
Oh dear !!

Anonymous said...

Mark James lost for words? Not like him!

This will be one to watch.

Anonymous said...

Stood aside from chief role
Stood aside from welsh govt roles
Stood aside from returning officer euro elections??
Anybody asked on last one?

caebrwyn said...

@anon 22.26 I believe, though I'm not certain, that Pembrokeshire council CEO Mr Bryn Parry Jones is the Returning Officer for the Euro elections. Labour AM, Rebecca Evans has called for him to be stripped of this role following the Pembs pension audit report.
http://pembrokeshireherald.com/3345/bryn-parry-jones-stripped-returning-officer-duties/

Mr James was returning officer in the 2012 local election; http://carmarthenplanning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/audit-office-called-as-mp-and-am.html

habitaddict said...

I think it's high time that we returned to the days when County Councils were "public service providers", NOT businesses. Sack the lot of them: Directors, Executives, Chief Executives, Executive Directors, etc... I can only see this happening if we have a Government other than Lib-Lab-Con down in Westminster. It would be helpful to have such a "non-mainstream" Government in Cardiff too!

nospin said...

Apols but a slighly different subject , has there been any update on the potential enquiries into council and police for the way that a couple on Week In Week Out (think it was that prog) are progressing.

Anonymous said...

There is a regional returning officer for south Wales,bp jones
Each authority area then has a local returning officer?