Councillor Cynthia Bynon

Councillor Cynthia Bynon was first elected in May, and is a labour member for Panteg. She is in fact the only labour councillor not to get an additional position with an additional allowance. Every other labour councillor has, plus the Torfaen 5 (what would Bob have done if they hadn't accepted the jobs?).

Why was this lady left out? Is the as yet unfilled position, Chair of the Co-ordinating Committee, earmarked for her or is Bob going to use that position to buy over another member from the other side and consolidate his position. His reasons given for delaying the appointment (ensuring a political balance?) seemed a bit strange. We shall see in due course. Update here.

Time will Tell

Only time will tell if the two independent and three Plaid councillors who supported the labour group in their hour of need have done the right thing. On the face of it it looks like a betrayal. However what does the average non-labour voter want in Torfaen? Change, yes, but what we need is a long term radical change in the way the council is run, making it more accountable to the people.

To do that we need to ensure that in future no group or party has a position so secure that they can ignore public opinion. If the Famous Five have this at the back of their minds, and they are determined to work for change with the rest of the non-labour group (if that is now possible) and with the more open-minded of the labour group, then maybe, just maybe, they will eventually redeem themselves.

Time will tell.

There were alternatives

Even if the three "plaid" (now labour) councillors and the two "independents" had not liked the opposition "package" they could have stayed in the middle and balanced the two sides, voting for best from the experienced labour group and adding talented new blood.

But no, from the moment the five took Judas's purse the meeting was a waste of time, we are back to the old regime except they have secured their cosy, well remunerated, totally undeserved positions instead of five others. We will not even notice the difference! What a waste of time!

A vote for Plaid was a vote for Labour

I must amend my last post, maybe the lady concerned has just learnt the way life really is, very quickly. She has just agreed to accept the labour whip, and at the same time accepted an additional £5,402 per year. The more cynical might see this as a bribe.

Below I show you the allowances members get, all sum are in pounds, per year, and the rates are accumulative. Therefore if you are leader you get £27,017 plus your basic allowance of £12,718 a year, ie £39,735 per year

5 councillors, that is 3 (inexperienced) Plaid councillors and two (inexperienced) independents "sided" with the labour group and voted in the former regime. For their compliance each of these 5 (inexperienced) councillors have been nominated, by the labour leader, and by a consistant vote of 23 to 20, given chairmanship of a committee, at an extra £5,402 per year. (That means that these 5, inexperienced people will be getting £18,120 before expenses.

It stinks! (unless of course they have a hidden agenda)

The allowances for councillors are as follows (remember that any actual expenses occurred, like travel and accommodation, are generous additions to the following basic allowances.)

Leader of the Council £27,017 per annum
Deputy Leader £14,859
Executive Member £13,508
Chairs of Planning and Licensing Committee £8,105
Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees £8,105
Chairs of Committees (other) £5,402
Mayor’s Allowance £8,105
Deputy Mayor’s Allowance £5,402
ALL ABOVE PLUS THE Basic Allowance of £12,718
PLUS Care Allowance* £375 per month (if you have young kids).

Why become a councillor?

A lady who had just snatched a seat from labour in Torfaen was surprised to hear that there was any allowance, let alone £12,000 for being just an ordinary councillor. I am not saying that hard working councillors don't deserve some renumeration but this does show that this particular lady put up for all the right reasons.

Will anything change?

I hear rumours that the Labour party may stay in power in Torfaen with the support of another political group or a number of independents. The independents apparently cannot get their act together and they are the second major "group". See here (Peoples Voice are 3 of the "others") and here.

If this means that the previous labour administration stays virtually unchanged, with a few (very well paid) jobs for the "new boys" then one must question the motives of those "new boys".

If those "new boys" are the Peoples Voice members and they are accepting the Labour whip or even a joint whip then they are certainly not what they said they were. The people of Torfaen voted for a change. (Later note: I am informed that the Peoples Voice are not forming an alliance with Labour, so who could be?)

It was interesting to see that the Peoples Voice candidates only got in where they were the only alternative to the Labour Party. For detailed results see here.

We must wait and see.
The first meeting of council, when all will be revealed, is the Annual meeting of TORFAEN COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL, which will be held in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre, Pontypool on Thursday, 22 May 2008 at 5.00pm. See you there!

Overheard in the House of Commons

This was overheard in the House of Commons (see here)


"Ah yes, Torfaen - that famous Labour marginal."
"What happens when you've got a load of mad buggers (independents) in charge? It'll be officers' play-time!"

This is unfair. Either our dedicated officers would guide an inexperienced cabinet and not take advantage of the situation OR they will carry on running rings around the administration like they have done for years, maybe a less experienced cabinet would stand up to them!

Either way we would be kidding ourselves to think that the elected members influence the day to day running of the council, it is simple offering Direction and Correction to the officers .

Wales Says "No place for Party Politics in Local Government"

Betsan Powys' Blog on BBC Wales Website gives the (near) final figures on the Welsh Local Government elections, see it here; indeed it does show that The Labour Party have had a "good kicking"

Independents gained 348 seats, 5 more in total than Labour in Wales. Add on small parties, an extra 26, and say 50% of the other parties, for those that vote for other parties as a way of getting or keeping labour out. That makes an extra 53, total 427, as opposed to labours 343 votes. That is a majority of at least 24% of the seats in this election were chosen by people who don't want either a Labour administrations or the long term one party system to continue.

Ousted labour councillors may well blame Gordon Browne and the demise of the 10p tax band but that can only partly compensate for the "vote for anything Labour" mentality of many Welsh people. No, and as long as the electorate remember the arrogance of any long term labour administration I sincerely hope that, until they put up as independents, representing the people, not the party, those councillors are out and they will stay out. Let's hope they see sense, because some of them would make good councillors.

Keep an eye on Betsan Powys' Blog here

Torfaen Election Results!

I am a bit shell shocked with the results of the Torfaen Elections. This forum/blog, was started with never a thought that the balance of power would change so dramatically! Labour losing overall control, unbelievable but what a marvellous opportunity to reduce the influence of officers and the party system in Torfaen politics forever.

So I am both pleased and apprehensive. Who will be in charge, will the officers have even more control over inexperienced cabinet members, we shall see?

I must say that I am pleased that our Upper Cwmbran councillors did not change. They may be labour, and part of the party machine, but they have been prepared to act independently when the need arises. This is reflected in their keeping their same share of the vote, their electorate thinks they have represented them well. Congratulations to them!!

Torfaen RIP Democracy

At the council meeting in July 07 , without one elected member noticing, they unanimously passed a new clause in the constitution that has made Public Question Time all but useless. Click Here to see all about the problems of clause 4.16.9