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Health Board Chair slams Mark James over City Deal
A source close to Swansea City Council has revealed that an explosive letter has been sent from the Chair of the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg (ABM) health board to the City Deal Joint Committee, through it's...
View ArticleThe death of democracy; the legacy of Mark James
This blog has concentrated, in recent months, on the chief executive's most recent achievements in the boggy field of regeneration, namely his shady deals surrounding the Wellness Village and his...
View ArticleCity Deal; Neath Port Talbot threaten to pull out...and Cadno on the...
Neath Port Talbot council's cabinet will meet tomorrow (Wed) to discuss the latest developments in the Swansea Bay City Deal. The report, for those of us used to observing Carmarthenshire council, is...
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Private Eye again...and a Brown Nose Award, First Class
The Rotten Boroughs column in the current issue of Private Eye features Mark James of Carmarthenshire Council fame yet again. It follows an oozing 'tribute' to the departing Mr James, penned by his...
View ArticleCity Deal; The 'potentially defamatory' letter...the row continues
Please see previous post; Health Board Chair slams Mark James over City Deal for backgroundBack in March, as above, I blogged about an explosive letter from the Chair of ABMU health board Andrew Davies...
View ArticleCadno's farewell to Mark James - The Carmarthenshire Herald
As last week's AGM was the last council meeting which chief executive would, er, Chair, Mark James took the opportunity to say farewell to the captive audience. A brief and modest thank you all round...
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A message to Mark James
Mark James chose the momentous occasion of his own self-congratulatory 'farewell' extravaganza at the council AGM last Wednesday to launch an extraordinary attack on the press and 'anonymous bloggers'....
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City Deal - Carmarthenshire Council stripped of governance and audit role
Following the scathing UK government and Pembrokeshire-led internal governance reports on the City Deal, Carmarthenshire Council has now been stripped of the entire democratic governance and audit...
View ArticleCouncil to blow another £600,000 on the Wellness Shed
At the last Executive Board meeting (June 3rd) attended by former CEO Mark James the final item on the agenda was that old chestnut, the Wellness Village. Naturally, despite the scandals and the...
View ArticleNo call-in for the Wellness planning application
After six months the Welsh government have decided not to call in the Wellness planning application but to let the council determine it themselves. As one of the people who requested the call-in, and...
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Organised Crime Unit investigate Wellness allegations
Wales Online reports today that the Swansea University suspensions and allegations relating to the Council's Wellness Village and the Kuwait venture, are now also being considered by the Regional...
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The 'potentially defamatory' letter; Mark James threatened the...
Back in April, as I reported here, the Chair of the then ABMU Health Board Andrew Davies wrote a blinder of a letter to the Chair of the City Deal Joint Committee concerning the integrity, or lack...
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Wellness scandal; University pair sacked for gross misconduct
WalesOnline report today that Swansea University's suspended Vice-Chancellor Richard Davies and Prof Marc Clement have both been sacked for gross misconduct. This follows several months of internal...
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Libel indemnities? Auditor General says NO!
Meanwhile, whilst I continue to make my own enquiries and we await more news on Mr James, the police and the unfolding Wellness scandal, another long running scandal has taken an interesting...
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Wellness scandal - Mark James back in Private Eye
Further to my previous post on the University sackings, Mark James, and the police raids, here's the Rotten Boroughs column in this week's Private Eye....top of the bill no less...As usual, for more...
View ArticleMark James' home searched in police raid
Carmarthenshire is a large county, but when it comes to news that the police have raided certain addresses in a bribery investigation it becomes remarkably small. By midweek it seemed that the details...
View ArticleA quick update - I'm still here!
After being contacted by numerous people wondering if I'd given up writing the blog I thought I'd better add a quick update and confirm that no, I haven't. The brief lull is due to the highly...
View ArticleThe Council and that 'independent' Acuity Law report...continued
Acuity Law, readers will recall, were the law firm which carried out the council's 'independent' review of procurement and governance around the Wellness Village. Their report, which was published in...
View ArticlePlaid Cymru, and the rotten legacy of Mark James
My last post included a published comment warning former CEO Mark James that just because it's quiet, it doesn't mean there isn't a train coming. Quite correct, there will be a train coming, regardless...
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Wellness scandal - bribery investigation - four suspects questioned by police
The organised crime squad Tarian, have said, in a statement issued today, that four people have been questioned as suspects in relation to the alleged bribery investigation over the proposed Wellness...
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