I hadn't realised this previously but in 2003 the Welsh Assembly narrowly approved a measure which would allow local authorities to pay existing councillors up to £20,000 to step down and not seek re-election. The idea at the time was to encourage older councillors to retire thus making way for new and younger people with fresh ways of thinking. Councillors would be eligible for a payout of £1000 per year of service up to a maximum of £20,000.
I'm not for a moment suggesting that this is what Anglesey Country Council should do, but it does occur to me that, as distasteful as it seems, financially inducing a small number councillors to step down might have been a faster and ultimately more cost-effective way of solving Anglesey's problems. Instead the Welsh Assembly Government, through appointing a £160K a year MD and a recovery board stuffed with quangocrats (cost unknown), have taken a very expensive sledge hammer to crack a nut -- yet a year and a half later the 'nut' appears to be very much still intact!
In order to throw a little light on what exactly is behind the rumours that the Welsh Assembly Government is looking to merge Ynys Môn with Gwynedd, lets take a look at the actual last minute WAG amendments to the Local Government Measure which have sparked these stories. They have now been published (and are attached in full below this post) but this is the key passage:
"Welsh Ministers may, if they are satisfied that it is necessary to achieve effective local government, make an order ("an amalgamation order") for the constitution of a new local government area by amalgamating two or three local government areas."
The amendment goes on to stipulate that, before using the amalgamation powers, Welsh Ministers must be satisfied that local authorities have not achieved sufficient collaborative arrangements. However, although these powers are intended to be a last resort measure, it does look as though WAG Ministers will be able to amalgamate two or three local authorities where they feel it is necessary -- without, it seems, the need for any consultation.
There had been some questions about whether these amendments were legal as they were seen to significantly change the purpose of the Measure as it was originally tabled. However the legislation office and the Presiding Officer have ruled that they are within "the general principles" of the Measure and therefore it appears that WAG's intention is that they should be voted on next Wednesday (2 February) in Legislation Committee No. 3's meeting.
It is worth noticing that WAG has a majority in both the Committee and Plenary, so unless Plaid Cymru were to rebel, there is little chance of these amendments being blocked.
With regards to a timescale when these Measures would be implemented, it would not be for some time. The Local Government Measure still has to go through a third stage of having amendments tabled and voted on in Plenary, a fourth stage of the Measure being passed by the National Assembly, and a final stage of receiving Royal approval -- which will take several months. Even after that, the Minister would (should his amendments be approved in their current form) have to produce an amalgamation order which again could take some time.
Given the limited legislative time left in the Assembly (it will be dissolved in April prior to the election), it is unlikely that the Minister will be able to use any of these powers before May -- even if the Local Government Measure receives Royal Approval before then. Therefore, although these amendments will be voted on next week, there will be no immediate changes, and it is by no means certain that they will become law before the elections in May.
Who knows what will happen after May though...
UPDATE: The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) leader, John Davies, has slammed WAG's handling of these amendments:
WLGA leader John Davies said publishing amendments "at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour does fundamentally call into question the effective scrutiny of such an important piece of legislation both within the assembly and by stakeholders".
He welcomed [WAG Local Government Minster Carl Sargeant's] assurance that the amendment does not pave the way towards a wholesale reorganisation of local government.
Mr Davies added: "While this provides reassurance, it does bring into question why this did not form part of the extensive 18-month policy debate and evidence gathering sessions on the [Local Government] measure that have been undertaken within the assembly on which the WLGA were asked to give evidence.
"Clearly this is not only a matter for the WLGA but for assembly members who from recent headlines have also expressed a significant measure of dissatisfaction in this process.
"It is concerning that legislation as fundamental as the future structure of authorities can be done without scrutiny and wider engagement or consultation."
According to the BBC, the Welsh Assembly Government DID table several last minute amendments last night to the Local Government Measure which would allow WAG Ministers to forcibly merge councils, notably Ynys Môn and Gwynedd:
"The future of the troubled Anglesey Council is in doubt following new legal steps in the assembly.
Late amendments to the Local Government Measure would allow ministers to force councils to merge.
It is thought the island council - already with its management under special measures - faces a merger with nearby Gwynedd
Local Government Minister Carl Sargeant told AMs on Wednesday he had ruled out wide-scale mergers.
But he said it was his duty to 'step up to the mark' in the case of failing authorities to 'do something about them'.
His comments will strengthen speculation that an announcement about the future of Anglesey council will be made in the near future."
More to follow.
UPDATE: The Anglesey Telegraph has a great story about our councillors falling out live on BBC Radio Cymru this afternoon. Read it here.
Despite the WAG Local Government Minister Carl Sargeant visiting Gwynedd tomorrow he will be conspicuously NOT crossing the straits. Not to worry, I hear that a number of Anglesey councillors will be crossing the bridge to see him instead. One of them apparently will have a list of 22 names in his pocket -- all of whom are willing to take over from the currently daily diminishing minority alliance and form a new administration. Will this make any difference -- or has the Minister already made up his mind to send in the Commissioners? The fact that he attempted and failed today to include last minute amendments to the Local Government Measure currently going through the Assembly which would allow him to order the merger of councils by diktat suggests that his mind is already made.
My personal view is that any merger with Gwynedd (and now I am hearing that Conwy may also be in the mix too) would be disastrous financially for Ynys Môn for the following reasons:
Gwynedd Council currently has to find savings over the next few years of approx. £28.8 million, compared to 'just' £10 million at Ynys Môn (Conwy must find £21.9 million). A fully merged council would see these cuts shared between both councils. We have already seen something similar with the amalgamation of Local Health Boards across North Wales to create the Betsi Cadwalladr University Health Board. This led to the red ink at Glanclwyd and Maelor hospitals being shared throughout the region thus causing cuts at previously fiscally well managed Ysbyty Gwynedd.
Average Council Tax is much higher in Gwynedd than Ynys Môn and a harmonisation of rates would undoubtedly result in a large rise in Anglesey (Average Band D council rates in Ynys Môn are £825.30 compared to £960.79 in Gwynedd -- a difference of £135).
Anglesey County Council has the second largest estate of small holdings in Wales. These are valuable assets which a cash strapped Gwynedd would seek to disperse in order to reduce their own financial problems.
Gwynedd Council has 75 councillors compared to just 40 in Ynys Môn. This imbalance would ensure that the merged council would operate in the best interests of Gwynedd not Ynys Môn.
Gwynedd Council is dominated by Plaid Cymru (36 Plaid Cymru members out of 75 councillors) meaning a merger would lead to Plaid Cymru dominating both councils (in Ynys Ynys Môn there are currently only 8 Plaid Cymru members out of 40). As Plaid Cymru are completely opposed to nuclear energy a potential merger would not be a helpful development at this crucial stage in Horizon's decision making process regarding Wylfa B.
All Anglesey Councillors have this afternoon received an email from the secretary of Elan Closs Stephens, Chair of the Recovery Board, to inform them that the planned governance workshop scheduled for next Monday in the Treaddur Bay Hotel has been cancelled. Normally that wouldn't mean very much, but after yesterday's sackings and the last minute amendments to the WAG Local Government Measure possibly designed to bring about the merger of Anglesey and Gwynedd being reported by the BBC, it looks like this cancellation is prima facie evidence that the Council is to be suspended.
If it is all over for Anglesey County Council, let us all remember that we have reached this point at this particular time for no good reason other than petty politicking by people wanting to become Leader, and with no plan or manifesto of what they would do differently if they did obtain that position.
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.
