I NOTE that Councillor Gez Kirby (Argus letters last week) suggests, albeit it incorrectly, that Plaid Cymru has been clueless over the council budget and Labour’s senior officers pay scandal. 

Labour has already cost Caerphilly county taxpayers’ £4.75m on senior pay.  This equates to £35 for every adult in the borough, or £60 per household. 

A Plaid Cymru administration would never have got into such a mess. In fact, the Plaid Cymru leadership rejected an approach from chief officers before the 2012 election to push through a huge pay rise when ordinary council workers were on a wages freeze.  But as soon as Labour was returned to power they caved in and pushed through the increase with their huge majority. 

I couldn’t stop laughing when Councillor Kirby mentioned the protection of public services under Labour. He must be living in a parallel world. 
He is obviously not aware of staff being withdrawn from frontline services which directly affect the public. Councillor Kirby clearly hasn’t been out of the house much lately to look at the condition of roads and pavements, the potholes, the litter, the dog mess and fly-tipping.

Money that could have gone on frontline services has been wasted on Labour’s senior pay scandal.
 
Colin Mann,
Leader of the Plaid Cymru Group
Caerphilly County Borough Council