Press

 Release.  

 
The  announcement  a  few  days  ago  that  30  members  of  the  Isle  of  Anglesey  County  Council  
had  come  together  to  create  an  alliance  to  move  the  Council  forward  should  have  been  
welcome  news  for  the  staff  of  the  County  Council  and  the  residents  of  Anglesey.  The  group  
may  have  had  their  plans  approved  by  Mr  Ieuan  Wyn  Jones  AM  and  Mr  Albert  Owen  MP  and  
in  legal  terms  is  a  valid  document.  It  did  however  fall  short  of  satisfying  certain  key  players  
in  this  unfortunate  drama.  It  did  not  meet  in  full  with  the  wishes  of  the  Minister  for  Local  
Government,  the  Recovery  Board  set  up  by  the  Minister  to  oversee  the  intervention  
measures  in  Anglesey  and  with  Mr  David  Bowles  the  Interim  Managing  Director.  Certain  
members  of  the  Original  Independents  have  frustrated  recovery  in  the  past,  members  such  
as  Bryan  Owen,  its  leader,  Gareth  Winston  Roberts  a  former  leader  of  the  Authority  and  
Goronwy  Parry  another  former  Leader  of  the  Authority.  

To  set  the  whole  thing  in  context,  we  probably  need  to  go  back  to  1996  and  the  formation  
of  the  present  Authority.  It  became  apparent  very  early  on  in  the  life  of  the  Council  that  
governance  was  poor  culminating  in  a  very  critical  District  Auditor’s  report.  It  is  ironic  that  
many  of  the  difficulties  highlighted  in  the  2009  Corporate  Governance  report  involved  the  
same  issues.  A  common  theme  emerging  was  that  many  of  the  Councillors  were  active  
members  of  the  Authority  through  both  periods.  For  so  long  the  “numbers”  game  has  taken  
precedent  over  principled  leadership,  patronage  has  been  the  order  of  the  day  in  order  to  
secure  working  majorities,  difficult  decisions  have  been  fudged  in  case  a  working  majority  is  
lost.  Taken  together  it  is  little  wonder  that  the  Authority  is  in  intervention  and  internal  
turmoil.  

I  stood  for  election  as  a  Councillor  in  2008  for  the  first  time  because  I  was  hugely  
embarrassed  that  the  Island  which  had  been  my  home  for  20  years  was  being  portrayed  
nationally  as  something  akin  to  a  “banana  republic”  I  also  recognised  that  it  would  require  
very  many  new  faces  in  the  Authority  if  change  was  to  happen.  I  wanted  to  change  the  
political  culture  of  the  authority,  this  culture  that  had  existed  since  1996  (and  even  before  
that  in  the  Borough  Council).  Upon  entering  the  Council,  it  soon  became  apparent  to  me  
that  good  governance  and  integrity  were  in  very  short  supply  amongst  the  longer  serving  
councillors,  “the  winner  takes  all  culture”  was  endemic,  a  change  of  administration  merely  
rearranged  the  personnel  with  no  recognition  being  paid  to  the  skills  of  individual  
councillors  to  undertake  posts  carrying  Special  Responsibility  Allowances.  

In  2008  ,  a  total  of  11  new  councillors  were  elected  to  the  Authority  together  with  3  others  
returning  for  a  second  period  having  been  absent  from  the  Council  for  some  years.  For  
many  of  them  it  was  a  harsh  welcome  to  the  realities  of  politics  Anglesey  style  where  
personalities  took  precedent  over  policies.    I  was  fortunate  that  I  was  appointed  a  portfolio  
holder  upon  entering  the  Council    so  was  even  closer  to  witness  the  vested  interests  being  
played  out.  Despite  all  the  difficulties  that  have  emerged  over  the  last  two  years  I  consider  
that  I  have  been  privileged  to  have  been    elected  leader  of  the  Authority,  I  have  tried  to  
follow  an  “inclusive”  path  as  leader  but  have  been  frustrated  along  the  way  by  many  
members.  

Throughout  my  time  as  a  member  of  the  Authority,  I  and  other  like  minded  councillors  have  
tried  to  tackle  the  vested  interests  that  existed  amongst  some  members.  Trying  to  change  a  
culture  where  members’  personal  interests  trump  political  principles  has  been  very  
demanding  and  often  attracted  unsavoury  comments  in  the  press  and  electronic  media.  The  
reaction  of  many  members  to  the  efforts  that  have  been  made  tells  a  very  sorry  tale,  many  
members  are  resistant  to  change,  there  is  a  reluctance  to  change  and  recalcitrance  amongst  
a  few.  They  continue  to  put  the  pursuit  of  self  interest  and  settling  old  scores  above  that  of  
governance.  

We  have  members  whose  sole  interest  is  seeking  revenge,  by  whatever  means  possible,  on  
members  of  staff  for  instigating  complaints  to  the  Ombudsman.  We  have  members  whose  
participation  in  Council  activities  depends  on  whether  they  receive  an  SRA  or  not,  members  
who  are  more  concerned  about  how  much  money  they  can  make  out  of  their  positions  as  
Councillors  on  bodies  that  pay  an  attendance  allowance  or  a  fixed  remuneration  sum  than  in  
representing  their  electorate.  

This  new  coalition  announced  last  Monday  is  a  clear  manifestation  and  continuation  of  this  
agenda.  Let’s  be  perfectly  honest,  many  of  those  putting  themselves  forward  as  saviours  of  
the  authority  have  played  prominent  roles  in  local  politics  over  the  last  15  years.  Many  of  
the  longstanding  issues  that  we  have  experienced  as  an  authority  emerged  when  they  
controlled  the  authority.  These  members  have  had  plenty  of  opportunities  in  the  past  to  do  
something  to  improve  governance.  They  did  nothing.  

I  have  looked  at  documents  prepared  by  the  Wales  Audit  Office  from  2003  to  the  present  
time.  It  was  little  wonder  that  intervention  was  imposed  in  2009,  every  year  reported  a  
failure  politically  to  deal  with  issues,  who  were  the  leaders  and  cabinet  members  in  that  
period?  It  will  be  no  surprise  that  they  included  Councillor  Gareth  Winston  Roberts,  
Councillor  Goronwy  Parry,  Councillor  John  Chorlton,  Councillor  Hefin  Thomas  to  name  but  a  
few.  These  are  the  very  same  people  who  are  now  offering  up  a  solution  to  “save”  the  
Council.  They  spurned  the  opportunities  of  the  past  yet  now  when  their  interests  are  under  
threat  they  experience  a  damascene  conversion.  Suddenly  things  need  to  change.  Let’s  be  
clear  however,  the  changes  they  seek  is  on  their  terms,  it  cannot  be  in  the  interests  of  the  
people  of  Anglesey  and  the  hardworking  staff  of  this  Authority,  otherwise  it  would  have  
happened  long  before  2008.  

In  June  2010  I  was  party  in  forming  the  Alliance  and  the  terms  of  engagement  as  a  means  of  
trying  to  stabilise  the  Council.  The  Executive  was  strengthened  by  members  from  outside  
the  then  ruling  group.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  hostility  within  the  Independents  regarding  
certain  aspects  of  the  Terms  of  Engagement,  some  of  the  points  in  contention  were  directly  
attributable  to  inappropriate  member  behaviour,  it  would  be  fair  therefore  to  assume  that  
they  concurred  with  accepting  inappropriate  behaviour  by  members  towards  the  staff  of  the  
Authority.  Amongst  the  leaders  who  signed  the  June  2010  document  were  Councillor  John  
Chorlton  and  Councillor  Hefin  Thomas,  by  so  doing  they  signified  their  and  their  groups’  
acceptance  of  the  Terms  of  Engagement,  one  of  which  was  to  ensure  a  stable  political  
environment  for  the  Authority  up  until  June  2012.  

On  6th  January  2011,  I  was  told  by  Councillor  Gareth  Winston  Roberts  that  a  majority  of  
members  in  the  Authority  including  Councillors  John  Chorlton  and  Hefin  Thomas  along  with  
Councillor  Bryan  Owen  required  my  immediate  resignation  as  Leader  and  that  I  would  be  
replaced  by  Councillor  John  Chorlton.  I  declined  his  suggestion.  On  Friday  7th  January  2011,  I  
had  taken  a  personal  decision  to  stand  down  as  leader  of  the  Authority  at  the  completion  of  
my  two  year  appointment  at  the  AGM  in  May  2011  and  that  I  would  not  be  seeking  re-­‐
election.  Later  both  Councillors  John  Chorlton  and  Hefin  Thomas  sought  to  further  persuade  
me  to  resign  under  threat  of  a  vote  of  no  confidence  in  me  as  Leader  of  the  Authority.  

These  two  Councillors  along  with  Councillor  Gareth  Winston  Roberts  were  party  to  the  
drafting  of  the  Terms  of  Engagement  except  that  he  having  initially  signed  the  document  
disassociated  himself  with  it  a  couple  of  days  later.  How  can  members  of  the  public  have  
confidence  in  the  integrity  of  councillors  if  they  behave  in  such  a  fashion  and  quite  willingly  
and  knowingly  break  agreements  because  they  don’t  meet  with  their  aspirations  at  a  given  
moment  in  time.    

It  is  little  wonder  therefore  that  the  Minister,  the  Recovery  Board  or  even  Mr  David  Bowles  
can  have  any  kind  of  faith  in  what  they  propose  let  alone  the  people  of  Anglesey  and  more  
importantly  our  staff  who,  day  in,  day  out  provide  the  services  for  the  citizens  of  Anglesey.  
This  Authority  handles  a  budget  of  £150  million  annually,  in  the  past  it  has  failed  to  grasp  
vital  issues  because  the  “winner  takes  all”  philosophy  prevented  stable  governance  from  
addressing  key  decisions  such  as  school  rationalisation,  care  homes  investment  and  
rationalisation  and  many  other  issues.  Officers  could  not  be  certain  that  their  professional  
views  on  modernising  services  would  be  acceptable  to  the  politicians  of  the  day.    Whilst  
other  Authorities  forged  ahead  and  modernised  their  services,  we  unfortunately  are  playing  
catch  up  and  doing  so  against  a  backdrop  of  member  vested  interest.  

The  average  age  of  Councillors  in  this  Authority  is  62.5,  in  the  rest  of  Wales  it  is  57,  we  only  
have  two  women  members  in  the  Authority  which  is  5%  of  the  elected  members,  the  Welsh  
average  is  22%.  We  need  to  rejuvenate  the  democratic  process  by  attracting  younger  
candidates  to  stand  as  councillors,  people  who  will  be  committed  to  governance  
improvement  and  not  pursuing  vested  interests.  Above  all  we  must  be  honest  with  the  
public  as  to  who  we  are,  what  our  background  is  and  why  we  are  seeking  election  or  re-­‐
election.    
I  am  reminded  of  a  quote  made  by  Nick  Robinson  of  the  BBC  in  April  2009  

“For  years  politicians  have  argued  about  how  to  spend  the  proceeds  of  growth.  For  
years  to  come  they  will  have  to  argue  about  what  should  be  cut”  

In  this  current  climate  I  would  change  one  word  only  and  that  is  in  the  future  we  have  to  
agree  about  what  should  be  cut.  To  do  that  all  members  have  to  abandon  self  interest  and  
put  the  needs  of  the  community  ahead  of  any  other  interests  and  carry  out  their  duties  with  
integrity  and  in  a  professional  manner.