Council leader's pledge to 'listen' to voters (From South Wales Argus)

Council leader's pledge to 'listen' to voters

3:11pm Saturday 24th May 2008 in News By Darren Evans

TORFAEN council leader Bob Wellington promised to "respond and listen" to the electorate after his surprise return to power.

We revealed yesterday how Councillor Wellington was re-elected leader of the council by just 23 votes to 20, meaning the authority remains under Labour control despite the party's poor local election results.

Labour's 18 councillors alone were not enough to take power.

A "Torfaen People's Coalition" of independent, Conservative, People's Voice and Liberal Democrat councillors, led by Blaenavon councillor Stuart Evans, were poised to take control.

But thanks to the support of three newly-elected Plaid Cymru councillors and two newly-elected independents, councillor Wellington was returned to power at the council's annual general meeting.

Speaking to the Argus afterwards, he said: "We have come to an arrangement, an agreement with Plaid and some of the independents to give stability to local governance in Torfaen.

"Politics in Torfaen is going to be different from now on. Our mission- is to respond and listen and attempt to regroup."

The five councillors - Jeff Rees (Fairwater), Maria Graham (Llantarnam) and Fiona Cross (Coed Eva) of Plaid, and independents Alastair Cunnington (Two Locks and Henllys) and Peter Cathcart (Pontnewydd) - were rewarded with chairmanships of scrutiny committees, positions which come with an extra paycheck of at least £18,000.

Plaid's Torfaen leader Jeff Rees, said his members had not joined a formal coalition.

He said: "We are willing to support a minority Labour administration for the sake of stable governance and in order to secure delivery of essential public services.

He said Plaid would vote on a "case by case basis."

Alastair Cunnington, a former member of the Labour party, said he was committed to remain "wholly independent", but his support for Labour had put him in a "very strong negotiating position."

Peter Cathcart said his "fellowship" with Labour would give him a "voice" to speak for his community.