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Council leader travelled at public expense to Labour centenary event

17 Jan 2025 3 minute read
Cllr Huw David. Photo Bridgend Council

Martin Shipton

A former council leader has been criticised after it emerged that he used a publicly funded Mayor’s car to travel to two Welsh Labour events commemorating the party’s 100 years as the biggest political force in Wales.

Cllr Huw David, who stepped down last year as the leader of Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) was driven by the Mayor’s chauffeur on November 15 2022 from Bridgend to the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay.

There, members of the Labour Party held a celebratory meeting at which speeches were given by politicians and party officials about the significance of the centenary.

Later, Cllr David was taken to the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay for a gala dinner attended by Labour grandees including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Two events

In a Freedom of Information disclosure, it has now been confirmed that Cllr David travelled in the Mayor’s car to the two events in Cardiff.

A spokesperson for the Bridgend County Independents group of opposition councillors said: “At a time when local government is under extreme financial pressure with a proposal to cut the schools budget by a further 1% next year we need to look closely at how we spend our residents’ money.

“The mayoral car is an anachronism which is difficult to defend in this day and age.

“However, this Freedom of Information response has laid bare the fact that it was also being used by the Leader and Cabinet members for a range of journeys that simply cannot be justified.

“It is time for the mayoral car to be withdrawn and also for this Labour BCBC administration to justify the journeys that have been detailed in this Freedom of Information request.”

‘No justification’

A Bridgend council source who did not wish to be identified said: “There is no justification for the former council leader using the Mayor’s car to attend party political events. It also doesn’t seem right that he was driven to Windsor Castle to pick up his OBE. That’s a personal honour and there’s no reason for council tax payers to foot the bill.”

Cllr David said: “I was awarded the OBE for my work in local government, so it was appropriate for me to travel to Windsor Castle in the Mayor’s car.

“I also attended the Llafur 100 events in Cardiff as leader of the council, not as a member of the Labour Party, so the use of the Mayor’s car was justified on that occasion too.

“As a matter of fact, the Mayor’s car has, from this week, been dispensed with as a budget cut, so the issue won’t arise in the future.”

In the FoI disclosure the council said it did not hold a record of how much individual journeys made by the Mayor’s car cost.


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Frank
Frank
1 month ago

Politicians all over the UK cannot resist the opportunity to try and pull a fast one. It makes one wonder whether they are in the job to genuinely improve things for the country or to just help themselves to whatever gains they can get.

Brychan
Brychan
1 month ago

By simple calculation this matter may be resolved. The milage for the trip to London for personal use and the trip to Cardiff for party political use is known. So Cllr Huw David (Labour) be invited to pay a sum at a rate of a Bridgend taxi fare for both trips back to the council to be spent on council services. Then Labours Limo should be sold with proceeds paid into the same account. Same applies to all Labour leeches across Wales. 

Howie
Howie
1 month ago
Reply to  Brychan

There are official mileage rates for LA staff he could recompense on that, it is also a benefit in kind that attracts taxation.

I dare say there are numerous occasions across Wales where these vehicles are used or a claim for non council business is cloaked by a civic duty caveat.

Brychan
Brychan
1 month ago
Reply to  Howie

Not in Carmarthenshire, a Plaid Cymru council. A councillor, Labour, who in possession of a senior bus pass for free travel (X11) had their milage expenses to attend council meetings rejected. It’s a local authority which has EV busses too, (T1). This standard should be adopted throughout Wales. Time to evict the shysters from office.

Howie
Howie
1 month ago

Like Bryant and Stevens getting the taxpayer to cover their leasehold costs, while Labour are delaying legislation to protect most other leaseholders.

Paul
Paul
1 month ago

It would appear that once you become a politician something happens to you and you are unable to consider the consequences of your actions. In this present climate only a thoughtless idiot or someone who thinks themselves as being ‘a special one’ would do something like this when it’s obvious that it will bite them on the backside. What is worrying is that these people are being paid by us to make decisions on our behalf!

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