Rumours have been reaching Caebrwyn this week that there may be elements amongst the Independents and possibly even in the Labour group that are not entirely satisfied with Cllr Kevin Madge's leadership. They are concerned, I hear, that he's perhaps not the most suitable choice as the 'Face of Carmarthenshire Council' ( I am choosing words carefully).
The recent defection by Cllr Teresa Bowen from Labour to Meryl and Pam'sclutches Independent party (I use the word 'party' because it is) has left both the Independents and Labour groups with a delicate twenty two seats apiece. An increasingly vocal Plaid are currently in opposition of course with twenty eight.
Rumour has it that the Independents are considering putting up a candidate for Leader, the current favourite is apparently Meryl Gravell. Why not Pam I hear you ask, well according to sources she does not speak Welsh, a requirement for the job. You wonder whether this should have been a requirement to hold the portfolio of 'Communications' too perhaps. Another candidate could be Cllr Giles Morgan, instrumental apparently in enticing Cllr T Bowen into the fold, but his rebel vote against closing the care homes a couple of years ago will not be forgotten...
It is unlikely that such a wrangle would be held in public and would be left to the ruling group to sort out behind closed doors. Then again, the 'coalition', we were told last year, would be up for review after twelve months, and that time is coming up.
Clearly the Carmarthenshire coalition is shaky, and it looks like the knives are being drawn. Labour's Tegwen Devichand surprised everyone at the December meeting by suddenly announcing, despite no one mentioning it, that 'under no circumstances are we changing Kev as our Leader', which rather made everyone think they probably were.
Of course this is all deckchair arranging, pointless as far as I can see, and if Meryl becomes leader then we truly could have bypassed the May election altogether.
The real power, as I've said, doesn't rest with our elected members at all, and unfortunately, most of them are perfectly content for this arrangement to carry on - this is what needs to be addressed.
The recent defection by Cllr Teresa Bowen from Labour to Meryl and Pam's
Rumour has it that the Independents are considering putting up a candidate for Leader, the current favourite is apparently Meryl Gravell. Why not Pam I hear you ask, well according to sources she does not speak Welsh, a requirement for the job. You wonder whether this should have been a requirement to hold the portfolio of 'Communications' too perhaps. Another candidate could be Cllr Giles Morgan, instrumental apparently in enticing Cllr T Bowen into the fold, but his rebel vote against closing the care homes a couple of years ago will not be forgotten...
It is unlikely that such a wrangle would be held in public and would be left to the ruling group to sort out behind closed doors. Then again, the 'coalition', we were told last year, would be up for review after twelve months, and that time is coming up.
Clearly the Carmarthenshire coalition is shaky, and it looks like the knives are being drawn. Labour's Tegwen Devichand surprised everyone at the December meeting by suddenly announcing, despite no one mentioning it, that 'under no circumstances are we changing Kev as our Leader', which rather made everyone think they probably were.
Of course this is all deckchair arranging, pointless as far as I can see, and if Meryl becomes leader then we truly could have bypassed the May election altogether.
The real power, as I've said, doesn't rest with our elected members at all, and unfortunately, most of them are perfectly content for this arrangement to carry on - this is what needs to be addressed.
