Changes at Powys Council

It seems that a new 'coalition' (or is it administration) could be running Powys County Council. I've not seen anything official though, There have been rumours for a while that the Powys Independent Alliance and the Liberal Democrats were going to form an informal coalition. Between them they have the numbers to run the Council. Well it looks as if the deal could have been done. I do think they should tell us exactly whats going on.

Reason to believe that a coalition has been formed was the way that Lib Dem leader, Cllr. Les Davies voted at today's meeting of the Executive Board. A decision was taken to open discussion with every primary school in Powys with under 35 pupils about school closure. One Lib Dem Councillor had told me before the meeting that the group were very unhappy about this proposal and that Les was going to oppose it - but he voted for it. I suppose this could be the price of 'Collective Responsibility'. Perhaps my informants are reading too much into it. Whatever, I wonder what the instinctive 'conservative' Independents in the 'PIA' think of all this. Perhaps they don't know! Well, they do now!

Another change is that Cllr. David Jones has taken over the leadership of the 'Shires' Independent Group from Cllr. Barry Thomas. It seems that Barry has decided that his new responsibility to the whole Council, as its new Vice Chairman, rendered his position as leader of a group as untenable. Makes Barry look rather 'noble'. The two Vice-Chairmen are Cllr. Graham Brown and Cllr. Gary Price. Gary's only been a member for 5 minutes and he's in one of the big chairs already.