The struggle for power begins...

I see that the grappling for power in Carmarthenshire Council has begun. Plaid have issued a statement appealing to individual councillors to join their fold and adopt their manifesto. I assume the call is largely aimed at the so-called independent councillors who may think it's time to ditch Meryl as a sinking ship. The question of the integrity of any of the independent councillors to remain independent and not join any group remains to be seen. However, Labour may have beaten them to it as, according to a Plaid spokesman, the Labour group met with various independents yesterday morning at 9 o'clock, the venue having been booked over a week ago.  So it looks to me that if it's not Meryl and Mark running the show, it's likely to be Kevin and Mark, and with Kevin Madge having consistently shown his total commitment to continuing the undemocratic officer led regime, it's all looking a bit bleak.

One thing I suppose is clear and that is there are only three players in the leadership contest, Meryl Gravell, Labour's Kevin Madge or plaid's Peter Hughes Griffiths, backed by whatever deal each can muster, and as Cneifiwr points out, it may well be the promise of lucrative positions which will determine future allegiances.

Peter Hughes Griffiths, in his plea for support stated;

“In the spirit of our manifesto in which we promised to return democracy to the council, we are opening the door to councillors who can sign up to our manifesto and join us for the benefit of the county"

Interesting use of the word democracy; where have the majority of Plaid councillors been for the past few years? They may have been in opposition but they've had numbers, and public voices. Where was their objection to the change in the constitution to sue members of the public in 2008? Where was their concerted and loud opposition to more recent changes to silence minority views? Why did they not challenge the appalling and unlawful restrictions for members of the public entering the public gallery? And where were their publicly stated concerns over the decision to fund the Chief Executive's legal costs? Not to mention the Council's questionable involvement with an evangelical church or the continuing bailing out by the taxpayer of the rugby stadium.  And what about the insidious control over the local press by County Hall? Plaid's pledge to rid us of the Carmarthenshire News is to be welcomed but there are wider issues over the culture of spin and misinformation which need to be addressed.
Mumbling dissent in the Chamber is no good to anyone, once in a while you have to put your head over the parapet, and be heard, loud and clear.
If Plaid gain control, they will have to go a long way to please Caebrwyn. Not a challenge I would even waste my breath with in respect of the other two.

Oh, and, while I'm here, who will take over the mantle of 'Young People's Champion' now that veteran councillor Gwynne 'the only book worth reading is the bible' Wooldridge has lost his seat? My money's on Tom Theophilus who, as an octogenerian, has just the right qualification for those jokers in County Hall. I hope I'm wrong.