New-York-Daily-News-cneifiwr-emlyn

Update

Plaid Cymru has issued a statement on today's events. Jonathan Edwards reflects what many people must be thinking tonight when he says,

“Now that we have a police investigation underway, the Chief Executive should be immediately suspended from his post. It beggars belief that the Chief Executive is in office whilst the police are investigating whether any criminal activity has taken place. Carmarthenshire Council, with the Labour and Independent parties at the helm, is bereft of leadership."

The full statement can be found at the end of this post.


Just after 4pm this afternoon, and shortly after meeting council leader Kevin Madge (Lab) at their request, Dyfed Powys Police issued the following statement:

Dyfed-Powys Police have now fully considered the three Public Interest Reports published on 30th January 2014 by Wales Audit Office, into matters relating to Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire County Councils.  


Kevin Madge's response to this has been to issue a statement promising a separate "review" by the Welsh Local Government Association, of which he is a member along with a lot of other Labour council bosses. Two fingers up to the police and the Wales Audit Office once again, it seems.

Interestingly Kev's statement was issued not by the council but by the Labour Party's press office in Cardiff.
 


Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament Jonathan Edwards and County Councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths have responded to the announcement made by Dyfed Powys Police Force this afternoon which confirmed the Gloucestershire police will be investigating whether any criminal activity has taken place in relation to the Wales Audit Office reports which concluded two matters decided by Carmarthenshire Council were ‘unlawful’.

Member of Parliament Jonathan Edwards said:

“The public, media, county residents and all observers immediately recognised the seriousness of the audit reports when they were published two weeks ago. I welcome the action of the police today as this situation clearly merits investigation.

“The Labour leader of Carmarthenshire Council, Kevin Madge, has been dragged kicking and screaming into showing just an ounce of leadership but he has failed. He has failed again today with his response to the police investigation. For the past thirteen days Kevin Madge has been more interested in issuing personal attacks on anyone who dared to question his extremely poor judgement.

“Now that we have a police investigation underway, the Chief Executive should be immediately suspended from his post. It beggars belief that the Chief Executive is in office whilst the police are investigating whether any criminal activity has taken place. Carmarthenshire Council, with the Labour and Independent parties at the helm, is bereft of leadership.

“The inaction of the council leader and his astonishing attempts to undermine the integrity of the independent auditor has seen the First Minister of Wales and the Labour party head office dragged in to try and sort out the mess Kevin Madge has created.

“Labour-run Caerphilly Council suspended its Chief Executive within two days of their audit office reports. Pembrokeshire Labour party has called for the immediate suspension of its Chief Executive. But what we’re seeing in Carmarthenshire, however, is that the Labour party is in meltdown and has absolutely no authority in the council it is supposed to lead.

“At every level of government civil servants advise and elected politicians decide - the same applies to Carmarthenshire Council. The Executive Board is responsible for the unlawful decisions they have taken.

“The elected leaders of the council should therefore apologise to the taxpayers’ of Carmarthenshire for their unlawful actions and resign. It is the bare minimum they should do as a result of the damaging audit reports, and for their subsequent actions in treating Carmarthenshire residents with contempt.

“Kevin Madge’s defiance, dithering and delay has seen the good name of Carmarthenshire dragged through the mud. His disgraceful behaviour in approving a tax avoidance scheme should alone make him hang his head in shame.”

Leader of the Plaid Cymru opposition group on Carmarthenshire Council, Councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths added:

“The announcement of the police investigation confirms the seriousness of the situation the council finds itself in, and fully justifies the concerns we’ve raised for the last two weeks.

“The response of the Labour council leader is totally unbelievable. How can he justify not immediately suspending the council's Chief Executive? His suggestion of an external inquiry by the WLGA is quite pathetic.

“Cllr Madge seems to have lost his grasp on the situation entirely. As Leader, he failed to take decisive action when the reports were published and he has failed to take decisive action today. How can he remain in his post? The public will think it disgraceful that the council leader has ducked the political decisions required in his role.

“With a police investigation confirmed, the public will now rightly expect every Labour and Independent councillor to accept these reports and the serious conclusions they have reached.
“We want to restore democracy to the council and restore the good name of Carmarthenshire. We are ready and open to talk to all councillors who are prepared to lift the county out of the mess created by the Labour and Independent executive board.”