Despite the sacking of Labour leader, John Chorlton, from the executive it is far from clear yet whether the Labour group itself will withdraw its support from the Alliance. Indeed it appears that John Chorlton's portfolio of Planning and Environment has been offered to another Labour councillor. With the budget yet to be finalised and a host of other important decisions just down the road, Labour now have the messy business of deciding whether to act in the best interests of the Island, or to continue to support a leader who has been sacked for apparently trying to undermine Council Leader, Clive McGregor.
Having said that, even if remaining Labour members continue to support it can the minority ruling alliance now limp on like this until the Council AGM in May? Will perhaps the Original Independents step in? The events of the next few days will be crucial in determining what David Bowles and Elan Closs Stevens will recommend to the Minister in Cardiff.
So what happens if they decide that the "recovery" has irrevocably broken down? Following WAG's instructions last month for Ynys Môn and Gwynedd to "cooperate" together, the simplest way forward for WAG would be to proceed with a full merger of the two councils. Indeed, rumours suggest that Plaid Cymru in particular is very much for this as the strong Plaid support on the mainland would pretty much guarantee Plaid control of the merged council.
Although I see no problem with greater cooperation between the two councils in delivering services, I would completely oppose any loss of sovereignty for Ynys Môn. Not only for cultural or historical reasons, but also because of the more practical reason that Gwynedd Council currently has a budget black hole of almost £30 million -- compared to 'just' £10 million on Anglesey. With 75 councillors in Gwynedd against just 40 in Ynys Môn, I'm sure it wouldn't be long before various Anglesey assets such as our exceptionally large smallholdings estate would be sold off with planning permissions in order to fill the budgetary hole on the other side of the Straits.
In my opinion the political problems by themselves are not a good enough reason to seek the full merger of Anglesey and Gwynedd. Internal governance procedures have been strengthened significantly since David Bowles's arrival and, with just a few exceptions, it is undeniable that Anglesey County Council actually provides remarkably good services -- the news last week that IoACC recycles more waste than any other council in Wales is just one example of this. An influx of new blood into the Council at the local elections in 2012 -- and a campaign to ensure that -- would be the best remedy for our political problems, not a rushed and short-sighted merger with Gwynedd.
26 comments:
I do so agree with your comments here.
LOGIC, clear as glass, Druid.
nowadays would they place a referendum do you think?
My idea: slash the no of councillors as to ensure there is a competition for the seats.
14.00 None of these things are do-able within existing electoral law, regrettably.
it would be against the principle of democracy if the 2 Councils were merged without a referendum. The island's history demonstrates its considerable independence from the mainland. Given a vote l will vote for IoACC to be retained - and improved!
to the Druid: Labour have to do what's best for Anglesey not for John Chorltn personaly, if they want to be tayken seriously £
Keep Anglesey, but dump the several tired politicians who think of themselves rather then the people they represent.
Is it too much to ask some of these people to look inwards and ask themselves 'am I in this for the right reasons?'.
Photon 16.50 From my close knowledge of them, some are, but most are not. Selfish motives !
I see no reason why IoACC & Gwynedd Councils cannot have some shared services without the need for a full merger.
As far as the Councillors' and their petty politick-tockings are concerned ...I think new blood on board is the ONLY way the Council is going to regain any sort of reputation worth having. Perhaps if they were persuaded to resign 'en masse' we might get the changes we need sooner rather than later.
PS I'd offer to stand but as I'm skint it would look like I'd only be doing it for the money :-)
Anglesey County Council is now a Communist State .
News from the Kremlin.
On orders from David Bowles, Clive McGregor has written to the Minister calling for full Intervention. Power drunk McGregor says, it will endure that he will stay as leader as long as he stays a councillor.
Criss talks are ongoing to try and stop MacGregor's "Commie" actions.
Commentators are now saying that the council is been lead and controlled by two Megalomaniacs who are intent in running the Council their way, irrespective of the Democratic Processes.
Don't be fooled Druid.
The only political problems Anglesey County Council have are those been conjured up by David Bowles.
Divide and Rule, abuse power to create friction, lie and lie to undermine.
He and Clive McGregor both went against the ministers explicit instructions and this is why we are now very close to anarchy.
Playing with fire.
Witch Finder General Bowles at it again.
There must be some legal action that can be taken to stop this madness.
THE MINISTER IS CALLING ON THURSDAY....watch this space !
We really don't care who is coming on Thursday, we are living in a Police state on Anglesey and things have got to stop, there is no freedom for people, only total chaos, the next step will be anarchy and the people will take over this Council themselves, we want to be treated like Human Beings and not like idiots. We blame the Welsh Assembly for allowing this state of affairs to fester for too long, we are suffering while the Council is dragging us all down to their level. We want them all out..now!
And Clive McGregor had the audacity to say publicly, he was stepping down as leader in May because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
What a bloody liar.
Amlwch tonight.
Anyone going?
18.33 Not in dispute....but all the time, at operational Officer level, public services are being delivered very efficiently !!
The trouble is at the gutter political level.
We should demand an IMMEDIATE ELECTION, OR INTERVENTION BY THE REC. BOARD !
18:42.
I agree with your operational Officer level prognosis, but not the rest.
Get rid of Bowles and McGregor and you will see a dramatic change for the better.
Betsan powys is hinting that powers will be give tomorrow to WAG to merge the county councils.
Who may that be targetted towards?
Unfortunatley the days of paying council taxes to Ynys Mon are coming to an end. Hello Dyfed Edwards and Gwynedd.
What a disgrace and I blame ALL the county councillors, IWJ and Albert Owen
Amongst some other undeniably sensible stuff, the Druid says "it is undeniable that Anglesey County Council actually provides remarkably good services " and backs it up with one example - recycling.
Is IoACC really providing remarkably good services, besides recycling? Economic Development ought to be a major focus for one of the least well off areas in Wales. Planning ought to be demonstrably well managed, for obvious reasons. And so on. But are they, really? And if they're not, what's to be done to fix it, and who is going to make it happen?
I think the infighting members of IACC are in very real danger of reaping what they've sown. Looking from the mainland in, I would suggest they grow up and start serving the people who elected them instead of papmpering their own ego's. If I was a tax payer on the Island I would be disgusted at the bunch of self serving fools.
The problems at Ynys Mon were around before Councillor McGregor was even elected. Having tried to find out from the official Audit report why Mr Bowles was appointed I'm still in the dark, other than, the inference was that certain councillors were making sure their own personal objectives took priority over those of their constituents. Does the present "sackings" have anything to do with this?
Surely, as leader of the Council, Clive McGregor must be compelled to work very closely with Bowles, the man appointed ( at great tax payers expense) by the Welsh Assembly. Otherwise, whats the point?
DAVID BOWLES ?
The troubleshooter has become the troublemaker !
Friends of Anglesey across Wales hope that the people of Anglesey take contol and throw out the petty careerists and their egos.
But why the half-witted remarks about Anglesey as a "Communist" state?
Where Communists run local government in France, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal, Greece etc, they have a good reputation for being close to the people, non-corrupt etc. - it's the Gaullists, Christian Democrats, Conservatives and Socialists who get locked up for local corruption in those countries, not the Communists.
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