Friday, 26th September, 2014
Axes to grind
The announcement this morning that the leader of the council had sharpened his axe and hacked away at his cabinet came as quite a surprise to some.
Though, those in the know had an inkling that something was on the horizon. You’ll recall a few weeks ago I made a prediction that we could expect some cabinet changes to be made by Cllr. Jamie Adams.
I also ventured to print a couple of top tips. I said: “Even deputy leaders Cllrs. Huw George and Rob Lewis have been touted as potential victims,” before outlining my safest bet: “that Cllr. David Pugh will step down to spend more time with Ken Rowlands on the backbenches.”
JW was right on both counts – both Cllrs. Huw George and Rob Lewis have been stripped of their deputy leadership status but will remain as cabinet members, whilst Cllr. David Pugh accepted the leader’s proposal for him to ‘step aside.’
By far the biggest upset – and one which could very shortly haunt Cllr. Adams – is that his press release says he has decided to sack Cllr. David Simpson.
Click to read the announcement
The press release from Cllr. Jamie Adams this morning reads:
The Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor Jamie Adams, has announced a number of changes to the Authority’s Cabinet.
He has asked Councillors Rob Lewis and Huw George to step down as Deputy Leaders. Both Councillors will remain in the Cabinet.
The Leader has asked Councillors David Pugh and David Simpson to leave the Cabinet.
He thanked all four Councillors for their support over the past three years.
Councillor Adams said he would be considering new appointments to the Cabinet over the coming weeks.
Cllr. Simpson, who has also resigned from the IPPG, is widely recognised as the hardest-working and most capable cabinet member there has been in Cllr. Adams’ independent group administration since 2012, but on occasions he’s been known to take the word ‘independent’ a bit too seriously.
It’s quite common knowledge that Adams and Simpson have had somewhat of a rocky relationship over those two years, but why did they part ways today?
Cllr. Simpson has recently become increasingly vocal among other councillors about his dissatisfaction with the corrupt ruling administration, and I have it on good authority that he’s so fed up that he couldn’t keep quiet any more.
Accordingly, he’s tried hard to change things from the inside to no avail, and could well blow the gaff on a number of fronts. It’s even been rumoured that he was prepared to forgo his own cabinet seat, if that’s what it took to bring about some change for the better.
It appears as though the leader was aware, and got there first, though there are contrary rumours doing the rounds that Cllr. Simpson had already resigned before Cllr. Adams put out his press release announcing his cull.
If Cllr. Simpson now spills all, the council’s handling of the Pembroke Dock grant schemes is thought to be among the topics where he could make some explosive revelations, plus the shock departure in May of John Evans MBE, who was the lay-chairman of the audit committee prodding the council’s mishandling of the schemes.
However the biggest revelations are thought to include certain actions surrounding the recently-established disciplinary committee which is investigating issues relating to the conduct of the council’s chief executive, Bryn Parry-Jones.
We can only hope that today’s development will provide an opportunity for the truth to come out of County Hall for a change – and when Cllr. Simpson does speak out, I hope he doesn’t hold back.
Today the leader wielded his axe and got rid of his most competent cabinet member – but it’s about more than that. Cllr. Simpson has several axes to grind, and in the interests of justice – Cllr. Simpson is a JP, remember – let’s hope over the coming days he settles the score.
HuwTube
❏The day of bad news just gets worse for the demoted Maenclochog multitasker, the reverend Cllr. Huw George.
JW’s received a tip-off from one of his vast array of Welsh moles regarding Cllr. Rev. George’s attendance at a WLGA event this morning.
The foot-in-mouth cabinet member was accompanied at the meeting in Cardiff by his colleague and (then) fellow deputy leader, Cllr. Rob Lewis.
I’m told that the event, which was presumably the last function the intrepid duo attended as deputy leaders, featured a long and interesting debate on local government reorganisation involving discussions regarding finance, impact on service delivery, jobs and the like.
Gaffe-prone Cllr. George, who you may well know from his hilarious webcam howlers, made a contribution to the debate.
The comedic cleric asked how the WLGA can continue to support and promote councils webcasting council meetings in such difficult financial times.
Had it not been for the introduction of webcasting of PCC full council meetings last December, we’d never have been able to watch back Cllr. George’s bungling attempt to explain how street-lighting works.
Nor would we have been able to save his idiotic idiom on pancakes for future generations of council-watchers.
The pancake tosser’s video nasties have mounted up in only a short period, and aren’t limited to the weird and the wonderful.
He’s used the webcam to the max, even showing off his esoteric knowledge of Newtonian physics to laughs all round.
And now he wants the webcam shut down.
As my mole says: “No self interest there then!”
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As the saying goes…KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER!
I guess Cllr Simpson now has plenty of time to cause trouble from the back benches?
How will Jamie manage without his two deputies’ sycophantic simpering adulation? Step forward Keith Lewis or Daft as a Bush or Lyndon Frayling. What a plethora of talents to choose from.
Simon Hancock’s a magistrate, it didn’t stop HIM voting for confidence in his leader who lied to full council. Here’s hoping Cllr Simpson shows some balls.
Notwithstanding fear or favour but the axe used by Farmer Adams on his Deputy Dawgs have been long overdue just like Putrid Pugh who has been symbolic in the deliverance of the good ship Pembrokeshire onto the rocks.
It’s somewhat surprising to those that follow Farmer Adams’ antics to learn that Cllr Simpson has bitten the dust and these may be the teeth that come back to bite him on his posterior.
This has to be his last chance saloon roll of the dice to start moving the manure from in front of County Hall. No doubt Snoop Dog Summons has risen to the top of the manure to fill a pair of wellington boots and perhaps even Half Hour Hancock stepping in as well. A curveball coming from left field may see the return of Big John (Davies) or the unproven Dai Neale, Steve Yelland or Umelda Havard.
Whichever farmyard trail he plunders now Adams won’t be heading through any forests for want of watching his back. To whom does he trust to cover his back without the proverbial escapades of ‘foot in mouth’ disease associated with his administration?
Time, and only time, will tell. We are another day closer to 2017 and the next council elections.
PLEASE PLEASE, not True Blue Sue! Pembroke Dock is damaged enough, without her causing more!
Anyone who accepts a place in Jamie’s cabinet will be committing political suicide. He is the day before yesterday’s man and should resign immediately.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Meaningless downgrading of deputies is just a pathetic attempt to appease a section of the ruling group who are experiencing early signs of election fever.
Rumours abound of Brian Hall and several others attempting to form yet another group. The reason for this I believe is yet another attempt to force Jamie to elevate him back to the cabinet via coalition.
As for David Simpson, my advice is go for it mate, you have just been handed a golden opportunity.
Councillor Adams said he would be considering new appointments to the cabinet over the coming weeks. Will he still be leader in a few weeks’ time?
Will anybody be prepared to join the cabinet under the leadership of a man who still has not done the honourable thing and apologised to Councillor Stoddart?
But, Councillor Simpson says he resigned, he wasn’t sacked. Who do we believe (I know who I believe).
Also, leaving the IPG, maybe he’ll grow a set and spill the beans on what really is happening. Pressure being put on Peter Morgan in an effort to stop him attending the BPJ hearing, if true, should result in more sackings if you ask me.
I’m watching the goings on while in the west coast of America. These cabinet members being asked to leave their position, did they vote to support Farmer Adams in his vote of no confidence?
I believe Farmer Adams is hanging in and will bring some more yes men into his team. I will start a list for promotion for Rob Summons.
Poor fools, these posts don’t need filling. After the secret Pembrokeshire Enabling Act was passed last week (in secret), the Leader can now assume total power. Even as I write, squads of Adams Youth, previously known as Boy Scouts, will be taking control of key installations around the county, they are just waiting for orders from the Leader.
The 1,000 year authority beckons…
I hate to say it but Cllr Sue Perkins is probably Jamie’s most loyal cabinet colleague and is the front runner in my eyes to become deputy leader. She’s got the Churchill nodding dog act down to a tee.
Hancock might also be in with a sporting chance. Has he gained his doctorate yet? As another comment points out, this speculation does depend on Jamie remaining leader long enough and I think his days and that of the rest of his administration are numbered.
Cllr Simpson seems a decent chap but he’s been a councillor a long time now and we mustn’t forget that, however good he has been as cabinet member, his support has allowed much of what’s gone on to continue in his name and often with his votes, not to mention the cabinet’s collective responsibility.
I wish him well, but it’s a shame he didn’t make any moves earlier. He can still more than make up for it though!
Why are the police or other authorities still not prosecuting or following up on any of the stenches coming from PCC? The trails of evidence should be plain to see and action should have been taken long ago.
A question for all you circus lovers out there. In the act Adams and Lewis, who is the organ grinder and who is the monkey? Maybe, of course, they are just a pair of clowns.
Sorry Jacob, but could you give us an update on the IPG vs “the rest” numbers game? I understand that Cllr David Simpson not only resigned from the Cabinet but also from the IPG.
With the latest revelation about the IPG, on the Herald’s website, it makes you wonder how many councillors with a shred of integrity will continue to support it.
Perhaps the rumoured new group led by Councillor Hall could provide a respite home for them, if they feel the need for company rather than be unaligned.
Hi John, the current position is: IPPG 31 – 29 the rest.
Until relatively recently it had been 33-27, but following Cllr. Steven Joseph’s desertion of the IPPG and now Cllr. Simpson’s, the IPPG finds itself clinging on to an absolute majority by just one.
If the majority goes, so, too, will the IPPG’s majority of seats on every committee.
Flashbang, one of the problems is that local authorities operate in a dead space between regulators. Presumably it was always felt that officials and members adhered to a code of conduct in spirit as well as to the letter.
Much of what has gone on would in normal circumstances have resulted in resignations, retirements etc. BPJ was probably planning to retire in the next few years and if he had a better political head, he would have gone last year.
Despite some of his cases the Ombudsman does not want to get involved in “political”. (Hard to define where the boundary is there.) The auditor has been the real hero so far, but seems to lack sanctions that would work in this instance.
Apart from diverting resources to historic sex cases, the police are reluctant to take on extra duties. It would almost certainly need a department on its own to police local authorities, Pembs is not the only county with problems.
They sit on the grants scheme case not knowing what to do. If it was just one person on the make, they would probably have been in court long ago. As the saga involves the council, council officials, including the Leader who personally inspected some of the work before explaining that it had actually been done to specification, the Chief Constable is in a spot. I think he is currently hoping that the grass will grow long round this problem, or maybe someone in the authority will “fess up” with a chapter and verse account of what went on and why.
Not entirely unconnected is the account of Cllr Simpson’s commendable record on housing whereby the authority moved from spending £1,000,000 a year on bed and breakfast to a mere £20,000 last year. Presumably the homeless people responsible for incurring the authority this expense now live in flats of some kind, just like the ones built above the shops in Pembroke Dock.
Many thanks Jacob, so it’s a close run thing. Our “outcomes” Leader may not have a few weeks to consider the membership of his new Cabinet.
By the way, when did the Council appoint or arrange for Ian Westley to be the acting Head of Paid Service? Why do we have a Deputy Chief Executive? When did the Council agree his duties and responsibilities?
Timetraveller, nice try but the people of the county really deserve a better effort from the police. It’s plain as day to me that they are stalling because of the players involved.
Farmer Adams obviously has the power to carry out this reshuffle on his own, and does not need to discuss it with anyone. It proves how powerful the position is to make decisions at will.
As the IPG have lost another member will their allocation of councillors on the committee investigating BPJ need to be changed?
John, the deputy chief executive post is somewhat of a mystery in PCC circles. There is no mention of it anywhere where you might expect, it was a creation of the chief executive, Bryn Parry-Jones, and has no formal functions. Full council has not appointed or arranged for anybody to assume the statutory head of paid service functions, these are still in the hands of the chief executive.
Welshman 23, as long as the IPPG has an absolute majority of the sixty councillors it will continue to be entitled to a majority share of councillors on committees, so this remains unchanged at the moment.
Welshman,
You raise a very interesting point about the powers of the Leader. As you say, the Leader has the right to hire and fire Cabinet members without reference to anyone. There is also an issue about how the Leader can be removed. I seem to recall that Jacob did some research on this matter soon after the 2012 election, so he may be able to add further details.
Under the present constitution the Leader is elected for the term of the council, i.e. until the next election – in the present case, 2017. There seems to be no mechanism for removing the Leader once installed. As I understand it, even if the council passed a motion of no confidence he/she would not be obliged to relinquish the post.
The constitutional issues working group, on which I sit as a representative from among the unaffiliated members, is currently considering a new model constitution under which there would be a mechanism for removing the Leader by way of a motion of no confidence.
Unfortunately, as currently drafted, such a NoM would require a two-thirds majority and such motions would be restricted to one in any rolling twelve-month period. So, once installed, the Leader could continue to hold power provided he had the support of one-third (20) of councillors. Needless to say, I am vigorously opposed to this proposal.
As can be seen, the present set-up is a virtual dictatorship, and such systems invariably come to grief because the tendency of the top man to surround himself with yes-men.
In the fullness of time, they develop the habit of saying yes when they should be saying no with the result that the Leader begins to believe in his own infallibility. By this process even perfectly reasonable people become deranged.
As someone once said: you can’t take the dick out of dictator!
The despot, as George Bernard Shaw noted, needs at least one disloyal subject to keep him sane. Adams will surely rue the day he jettisoned the only principled member, Cllr Simpson, from his politburo.
It hasn’t taken long after BPJ for the IPPG to fracture. Some of the deserters have some qualities to serve the electorate but why didn’t they act months or even years ago?
BPJ could not have survived as long were it not for the relationship between the IPPG hierarchy and the active support of senior officers.
If the pathetic response to the inquiry into the grants (taxpayers money) is typical, what trust can we have that things will improve? Staggering accounts and excuses have been made by some charged with looking after our money – how can they be trusted not only by ourselves, but those of higher authority in charge of the purse strings?
Make no mistake, David Simpson is a great loss to the County. The only individual of quality in Adams’ cabinet of nonentities. He has paid the price for trying to change things from the inside. I suppose he could be thought of as naive for even thinking this was possible, but he certainly tried.
He was the only cabinet member who delivered on his portfolio. When questioned by members in Council he always gave full and frank answers, and when he didn’t know an answer it was refreshing when he had the courage to reply “I don’t know, but will come back to you when I find out.” Rare indeed.
Well done and thank you for your work David. If only there were more like you, but in reality as long as the likes of Adams reigns there won’t be. Who next, will we see the return of Hall, or possibly new blood with “Brains” being promoted?
There isn’t much left in the cupboard, and they would fit in well with the incumbent regime, which is a moral and intellectual vacuum.
Jacob, I understand that the Deputy CEO position was approved by the Senior Staff Committee (1 June 2012 by Cllrs Jamie Adams, Huw George, Rob Lewis and John Allen-Mirehouse for the IPG, Paul Miller for Labour and Michael Williams for Plaid Cymru) on the basis of a report and recommendations by the CEO/Head of Paid Service.
Presumably “the job” and functions were arranged under his delegated powers without that illustrious and well informed committee having any idea, other than agreeing the recommended pay scale.
I note that functions are given in the management structure diagram included in the Constitution, but that the Council has not agreed any delegation of the statutory responsibilities that reside with the CEO/Head of Paid Service.
Presumably the Council’s Monitoring officer, Head of Legal Services and the Chief Financial Officer were happy with these “arrangements”.
Flashbang and Timetraveller, you raise some very good points.
Interestingly, Timetraveller’s name is very apt.
Many moons ago you may recall Old Grumpy prodded his nose into Cllr Brian Hall’s tardis time travelling and the associated travelling and subsistence expenses for which he claimed reimbursement. In the view of most (and considering the evidence) Cllr Hall was very lucky not to have ended up before the beak.
See here:
http://oldgrumpy.co.uk/archived/july202004.html
The 125 mile journey from Magor Services (where he bought lunch) to Pembroke Dock (via Haverfordwest) in 52 minutes was part of the journey Old Grumpy sank his teeth into.
OG demonstrated this journey would only have been possible at an average speed of 178 MPH (125 MPH if Hall put his lunch straight in the bin) – or, in other words, it was an impossible journey to make.
From Pembroke Dock, the journey is supposed to have continued because Cllr Hall then claimed to have travelled back up to Penllergaer to a meeting before he’d even left Pembroke Dock.
It was widely regarded that one of the key reasons Cllr Hall never faced police action was a very interesting statement given to the police by the county council’s then Director of Finance, Mark Lewis, here:
http://oldgrumpy.co.uk/archived/Mark%20Lewis%20statement.html
Well, I go to France for a week’s holiday to come back to the night of the long knives. I accept that my metaphor at the start of the year (which suggested that Captains Adams and B P-J are navigating the PCC Titanic and hitting one iceberg after another) was not particularly original, but BBC News seemed to like it.
I now see that Cabinet members and Deputy Leaders are already in the lifeboats and Captain Adams has very few deckchairs to reorganise.
After 6 years as a County Councillor I have found that there are many decent Cllrs trying their best for their communities, but I have always been surprised at the unquestioning support for the unsupportable.
I hope that with the resignation of Cllr Simpson from the IPPG others will follow suit and there can be a start to a cross chamber consensus for the good of all Pembrokeshire and her people.
What is the point of having a vote of no confidence if it is irrelevant.
Mike, even if you take the dick out of dictator, you are still left with the tater.
They’re creepy and they’re spooky and the Adams Family are about to implode. The end of a very sad period for Pembrokeshire local government is in sight.
I still believe there are members of the IPPG who even at this late stage can start to assess what they have been part of. Go out and talk to the people you are supposed to be representing; I have never seen such a strong consensus and it’s nothing to do with national political affiliations.
There are some who have long since ceased to support the plank and the electorate that elected them but they are not worthy of any form of consideration and will eventually fade away, remembered only for a lack of loyalty and integrity.
While support for David Simpson seems to be widespread and his actual performance within his cabinet role seems exemplary, he has still been an integral member of the IPPG and privy to the “secret” meetings before council meetings, discussing and resolving strategies to protect the Leader and Chief Executive on many occasions and voting accordingly.
Nightmare scenarios in the next few weeks?
1. Brian Hall and John Allen-Mirehouse head up a new mini-me version of the IPPG, taking Jamie’s majority away from him, forced into an alliance and BH and JAM are promoted back to cabinet with all monetary benefits associated with such posts.
2. Rob Summons and Sue Perkins promoted to Deputy Leaders.
I see from the Western Telegraph website that the leader Jamie Adams has had a complete reversal of opinion and is now talking about negotiating a merger of local authorities with Ceredigion, which is a well-run council and unlike Pembrokeshire is respected. Who would want to inherit Jamie’s mess?
Farmer Adams now wanting to discuss a merger with Ceredigion, what next? Do us a favour and resign.
Is the Investigation Committee planning to call “The Enforcer” to the stand? Strangely, if I had posed this question a year ago “The Enforcer” in the spotlight would have been Brian Hall – now it’s Rob Lewis!
The writing is on the wall in relation to merger with Ceredigion. Let’s start dialogue…my arse. What he really means is enter into talks voluntarily and postpone election for another year, then regroup.
The Enforcer is Rob Summons.
The leader of Ceredigion County Council, Ellen ap Gwynn said: “A business case does not exist to support a merger between Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.”
I think that translates to “Not as long as the farmyard dung heap is in place.”
I wonder, if Farmer Jamie had stuck the knife in before his vote of no confidence, how many of them would have supported him. I also wonder, as “Jamie looks you in the eye when confronting a situation”, did he look the Rev in the eye when he stabbed him in the back.
Does the Rev still think he is not the right man for the job, no not the right man, but “the only man for the job”. Ha Ha Ha.
Just returned from walking the dogs in Canaston Woods where I met a usually reliable source with contacts in the Kremlin. He told me that the talk of the place was that in yesterday’s investigation meeting, during the “effing and blinding” session, Chicken Eddie turned out to be the Lion but Morgan the British Lion turned out to be the chicken. Anybody else heard this?
CEO in Carmarthenshire looking for a severance package along with another 390 people. In California they hold elections with billboards with photos of the candidates. Let’s hope this type of canvassing never comes to Pembrokeshire.
There have been rumours for weeks that Bryn might wish to negotiate a redundancy. If that were to happen the council would not be able to appoint a new chief executive. With today’s news from Carmarthenshire the likelihood of mergers seems very much on the cards.
As I have pointed out previously, mergers are not optional. The Williams Commission offered, and the WAG accepted, only two alternatives, a merger with Ceredigion alone or one with Carmarthen as well in a rerun of Dyfed. The sooner we stop posturing and start the debate the better it will be.
I feel I owe an apology to the Police Commissioner. In a previous posting I suggested that as he had responsibility for setting policy and priorities of his police force he was a legitimate target if the investigations, or lack of them – like those associated with the grant scheme – were not followed though with some vigour.
It looks as if he too is frustrated by such a phenomenon. From recent reports it would appear he is attempting to oppose those “seeking to return police accountability to the murky world of back room deals between Chief Constables and local councillors.” He has my vote next time around.
It is extremely sad but amalgamation is probably a certainty. The only defence would have been a vibrant, efficient, popular council – so much for that. The many of us who worked for years to ‘Bring Back Pembrokeshire’ can only despair where this bunch of idiots have led us.
It is reported that Adams has said he will negotiate with Ceredigion. Their response – they don’t want us!!!! The humiliation is complete.
Changing ‘The Adams Family’ for ‘The Simpsons’ is not good enough. We need a complete clean out.
With the greatest respect to William Rees, the Dyfed/South Pembrokeshire combination didn’t do too badly – certainly far better than this lot – Pembrokeshire County Council has dug its own grave and is still digging.
There is a significant difference in how Pembs has been run compared with its two neighbouring counties over the past 15 years. Pembs is “efficient” and has the lowest rates in Wales, expect big increases in council tax on amalgamation!
Generally one gets what one pays for, shop in Aldi (no offence Aldi!) and one is shopping in Pembs. Shop in Waitrose and it’s a bit more like the other counties. Whilst low taxes are the mainstay of the IPPG, not all of it is actual efficiency. It is mostly simply a question of getting less for less (as in Aldi). Although it’s small comfort for many who are struggling, there is the compensation of maybe getting “Waitrose” service standards for the higher taxes.
Much of the flack the council has been flying through the past few years also derives from over zealous attempts to cut costs. (Except senior salaries and SRAs of course.) I believe Cllr Simpson is going to enlighten us soon on how he achieved his commendable record in office in cutting housing costs, or is it the Pembroke Dock Grants Scheme? Could they possibly be related? Perhaps, despite trousering 9% management fees, they didn’t actually have anyone to manage the grants? (That would save some money towards Bryn’s car.) Perhaps something else?
Cllr Simpson now you get off the fence after you resigned, why didn’t you speak up and bring this to a head sooner? I believe there is a fear factor and no one wants to do the decent thing and speak the truth about what is going on at the Kremlin.
I am afraid that some councillors are being got at and the current investigation on BPJ will be a whitewash. If the stories are correct Peter Morgan’s performance at the meeting on Monday disappoints me.
Timetraveller, you are not too familiar with Aldi and Lidl, I supply and work closely with these companies, they are double digit growth because they offer value for money. All the major supermarkets are envious, the word going forward should be value for money.
Nothing seems to surprise me anymore about the Pembrokeshire Mafia and its gang culture. Even the current “Pembrokeshire Herald” relegates to an inside page the omerta-laden warning of Cllr. Rob Lewis to Cllr. Ken Rowlands as to the expectations of him as a member of the committee investigating the conduct of Bryn Parry-Jones.