Plaid Cymru urged to ditch coalition with Labour to bring down council leader

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

Plaid Cymru is being urged to end its coalition with Labour to force out a council’s leader and cabinet.

The leader of Denbighshire’s independent group issued the plea to Plaid Cymru after a motion was tabled earlier this week calling for the removal of leader Cllr Jason McLellan and his Labour-majority cabinet, following the “disastrous” launch of the new recycling scheme.

The motion is set to be debated at a council meeting on Tuesday, 10 September at the council’s Ruthin County Hall HQ.

Currently three of the council’s nine-member cabinet are Plaid and six Labour.

There are 46 councillors in all, including 15 Labour, 13 independent, eight Plaid Cymru, seven Welsh Conservatives, two Welsh Green party, and one non-aligned.

Drastic change

Independent group leader Cllr Hilditch-Roberts says every member should vote for a drastic change.

“I’m glad that the meeting has been set, and this will be an opportunity for everyone to express their concerns,” he said.

“I look forward to having the debate, and I look forward and very much hope that every councillor will vote for the benefit of the people of Denbighshire and not for political reasons.

“What needs to happen now is that every member needs to vote with the thoughts of the people of Denbighshire and the best deal for them, and the big question is will Plaid Cymru break their coalition with Labour like they have done in the Welsh Government?”

He added: “With any vote of ‘no confidence’ there has got to be questions on why it has been called.”

The motion follows Denbighshire’s new recycling scheme being launched in June. Some residents have waited up to eight weeks for their rubbish and recycling to be collected.

Maggots

Residents have complained of bin bags piled in the streets and infestations of maggots and rats.

Earlier this week the Independent group said the new recycling scheme was running over budget by around £50,000-£60,000 a week, with staff being drafted in from other departments.

Leader Cllr Jason McLellan and Plaid Cymru were contacted for a comment.

Earlier this week, Cllr McLellan commented: “I fully acknowledge that the roll out of the new waste model was hugely problematic.

“I am on record as apologising to all those affected by this, and I do so once again.

“I fully appreciate that apologies don’t empty bins, and that is why I have tasked the chairs of the council committees to commission a full scrutiny of the roll out, and I welcome this process.

“I have been working extremely hard over the summer with the lead member and the senior team to make sure these problems are ironed out.

“A massive change like this was always going to be difficult, but significant improvements have been made and a vast majority of residents have a normal service.

“I do acknowledge there are remaining issues which we are working flat out to resolve.”