Jacob Williams https://jacobwilliams.com

The serialised articles published by the Western Telegraph profiling the county council leader, Cllr. Jamie Adams after a year in the top job, has gone down a right storm. Or, rather, has brewed up a right storm of protest, on their website’s comments sections here and here.

The first puff piece, which was very weak on substance, read more like a sickly-sweet manifesto than a serious newspaper interview, and described Cllr. Adams as “…the popular Independent Plus Group councillor.”

The second, which was longer, did have its moments, though was full of the sort of clichéd references given by politicians to ‘difficult decisions,’ ‘engaging positively’ and ‘difficult challenges,’ rather than outlining any real vision.

Perhaps the reason I enjoyed it a little more was because the leader expressed his concern about a number of councillors who are “just interested in promoting their own agendas.” Cllr. Adams is unlikely to be talking about any of his own party members in such a manner, so one can only assume the reference was to non-IPGers wishing to discuss matters or proposals that he would rather not. If that’s the case, then I fail to see how there’s any chance for a non-IPG councillor to promote his or her own agenda when consistently faced with an IPG block-vote.

I think the last word on this revelation comes from ‘mayday,’ whose comment on the WT website hits the nail on the head: “I concur that it is very concerning that members of the Council are promoting their own agendas particularly those changing their alliance once they have secured a seat using Independence or a recognised political party name.”

It’s hard to come up with an excuse for these two write-ups when one takes into account that they were the by-product of an exclusive interview, and that other website seems to have taken a particularly dim view of the WT’s less than robust attempts, which he describes as “…a bit like reading Pravda in the days before the fall of the Soviet Union.”

I’ve heard it said that the two articles to date are just for starters, and that Western Telegraph readers are in for even more discretionary delights as a third, fourth and possibly a fifth leader’s profile could be on their way. If that’s true, we’ll probably have to wait until the council’s summer recess begins. Our leader’s been quite busy lately and hasn’t had much time to write them.

---

Hudson’s choice

The Pembrokeshire County Council Conservative group’s brand new appointee to the National Park appears to have been made, with the Tories opting for Cllr. Stan Hudson. There was some speculation that the position would go the way of Cllr. David Bryan, whose act of joining the Tories nudged their numbers to three, which gave them the seat on the National Park which they weren’t entitled to with just two members.

But Cllr. Bryan’s certainly not going to be overlooked – JW understands that the finishing touches are being made to a deal which will see Cllr. Bryan being elevated to the far more lucrative post of Chairman of the Older Persons, Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee by his Conservative peers. It’s a position which attracts an annual £9k’s worth of Special Responsibility Allowances, if you please, and is currently occupied by Conservative group leader, Cllr. David Howlett.

This should be like getting back on the proverbial horse for Cllr. Bryan, because prior to the 2012 elections, when he was then a member of the IPG, he was Chairman of this very committee, but came out of the post-electoral shake-up without the burden of any Special Responsibilities on his shoulders. Following which, Cllr. Bryan resigned from the IPG and had a year’s stint as an unaffiliated member. Good things come to those who wait!