MP calls for Mark James to repay the cash
Following Pembrokeshire councillors' request last week that Bryn Parry Jones should pay back his unlawful pension payments, Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards has renewed his call for Carmarthenshire...
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'Anonymous' press releases...and other news
One recurring feature of County Hall's generously funded department of spin has been the anonymous nature of certain press releases on controversial topics. The infamous 'Sainsbury' Saga' of 2012...
View ArticleCarmarthenshire council; 'caught taking from the poor and giving to the rich'...
Good letter from Cllr Sian Caiach in today's Western Mail which I have copied below. The police investigation might be over but the fallout certainly isn't.Cllr Caiach also reminds us of the latest...
View ArticleCourt of Appeal - libel counterclaim appeal dismissed
Re; Jacqueline Thompson v Mark James [2014] EWCA Civ 600The Court of Appeal handed down judgment today on my appeal hearing held on the 30th April. The appeal was dismissed.I am now more than two and a...
View ArticleThe May Meeting
Well, Â back to the monthly routine of Carmarthenshire's full council meetings. There's two this month, with the thrills and spills of the AGM to look forward to next week..I shall be fairly brief as of...
View ArticleTerms of Reference - the governance review
Just in case you were wondering, which you probably weren't, I haven't gone away. Things seem to be unusually quiet in County Hall and of course there have been elections going on. Perhaps of more...
View ArticleScrutiny ups and downs
A Wales Audit Office report published today has found that scrutiny of executive decision making in Wales is something of a mixed bag; inconsistent and patchy. Not just for members of the public who...
View ArticleNews in Brief
Carmarthenshire Council's planning committee found its way into the national press (Independent) the other day as they approved a 45m wind turbine on farmland across the water from Dylan Thomas'...
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Council treasure troves...and irony in Powys
ITV Wales has been investigating the volume and value of artwork held by Welsh county councils. The full responses can be seen here, although several didn't respond at all. Of those that did, a...
View ArticleUnlawful payments - The police FOI response
As you may remember, the investigation by Gloucestershire police into the pension and libel indemnity scandals in Carmarthenshire Council failed to find evidence of criminality and was concluded last...
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The June Council meeting
Despite the council press office failing to mention or promote it at all for this month, there was a webcast of today's full council meeting which will be archived later.The livestream got off to a...
View ArticleByron Davies to lead Carmarthenshire governance review panel
At last week's full council meeting it was confirmed that the members of the "independent and impartial" governance review panel, set up by the Welsh Local Government Association in the aftermath of...
View ArticlePublic filming of Council meetings....Chapter 83....
Back in 2012 the cross-party Policy and Resources Scrutiny committee recommended to the Exec Board that the public should be allowed to film council meetings. The ruling administration rejected the...
View ArticleTen years of damage - the Carmarthenshire 'review'.
I'm all for independence when it comes to reviews, especially those as serious and important as the governance review taking place in Carmarthenshire Council in the next few weeks. As you know, it...
View ArticleAnother Press Office failure
Kevin Madge and the council seem to have forgotten the telling off they had from the Ombudsman last year for using the council press office for political purposes. Today's offering from our Leader...
View ArticleWLGA announce Carmarthenshire Governance Review
Given that this is a matter of public interest, the Welsh Local Government Association have announced the governance review, and the panel, as a press release on their website. I have copied it in full...
View ArticleDemocracy 'wishlist' - Bloggers' letter in the South Wales Guardian
Further to yesterday's WLGA announcement, fellow blogger Cneifiwr and I have put together a 'wishlist' of some suggestions for the 'review panel' to consider. It is in the form of an open letter and...
View ArticleThe 'seven seconder' rule
One item on the 'wishlist' for the WLGA review panel to consider is the reversal of the excessive number of signatures required for a Notice of Motion, from seven back to two.The increase from two to...
View ArticleMark James writes to the troops....
(Update 4th July 2014; See Libel indemnities on the agenda..and still unlawful; The Welsh Government has not given the council, nor Mr James the 'all clear'over the libel indemnity at all. Contrary to...
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Libel indemnities on the agenda...and still unlawful
Following the EGM on the 27th February council decided to ask for further guidance over their power to grant an indemnity to bring an action for libel on behalf of officers. Specifically of course was...
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