Voting machines October 2004
The Leader put forward a proposal that the number of members on the four scrutiny committees should be increased from 10 to 12.
By virtue of the political balance rules, seven of these eight extra seats were allocated to his Independent party.
The opposition proposed an amendment increasing the committee membership to 13 which would have given Labour three more seats and Plaid one.
The IPG voted 36-1 (Cllr Henry Jones) to reject this proposal.
October 2004.I put down a notice of motion calling for the removal of elected members from the standards committee.
Currently two members of the IPG (Cllrs Leslie Raymond and Robin Evans) sit on this six strong committee.
I argued that it was against the principles of Natural Justice to have members sitting in judgment of their fellow members, whether party colleagues or opponents.
IPG voted 36-0 against this proposal and were joined by Cllr Simon Hancock (Lab).December 2004
I put down a notice of motion calling for the publication of a statement made to the police by the county council's Director of Finance, Mr Mark Lewis, regarding Cllr Brian Hall's travel claim for 1 February 2001 (see Time Lord).
The motion was lost 43-10 with the IPG dividing 37-0, supported by Cllrs Ken Edwards, Simon Hancock, Umelda Havard, Sue Perkins and Joyce Watson (all Labour) and Rhys Sinnett (Plaid).
Cllrs Carol Cavill (Plaid) and Tony Wilcox and Pearl Llewellyn (both Lab) abstained.
As I tried to make the case for disclosure, several IPG members resorted to rather unseemly barracking in an attempt to throw me out of my stride (see Shouted down) but that only increased my determination to unearth the truth and I subsequently used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain a copy of the statement in which Mr Lewis said that Cllr Hall's expense claim was "correct in every detail."
Every detail, included documents which showed Cllr Hall had crossed the Severn Bridge at 12.56 pm; bought a meal at the motorway service station near Magor at 1.08 pm; and, on the same day, left Pembroke Dock at 2 pm to attend a meeting at Penllergaer which, incidentally, started at 2 pm.
It has since come to my notice that Mr Lewis made a second statement to the police.
The police have refused to release a copy of this statement and the matter is currently the subject of an appeal to the Information Commissioner.
February 2005
I put forward a notice of motion calling for deputy Cabinet members to be barred from serving on scrutiny committees on the grounds that, as they held office (and their special responsibility allowances) at the Leader's pleasure, and attended informal Cabinet meetings, they were in no position to provide independent scrutiny of the Cabinet's decisions.
IPG divided 34-0 against this proposal.
They were joined by Cllr Tom Tudor (Lab).
February 2005
Notice of motion calling for the Leader's absolute powers to appoint members to outside bodies to be transferred to a politically balanced selection committee as is the case in Carmarthenshire County Council.
Under the present system the vast majority of these positions are allocated to members of the Leader's own party.
For instance, the Port of Pembroke liaison committee is made up entirely of IPG members though three out of the four councillors for Pembroke Dock, where the port is located, are Labour.
IPG voted 33-0 against this proposal and were joined by Cllrs Ken Edwards, Ken Rowlands and Tom Tudor (all Labour).May 2005
Opposition motion of no confidence in vice chairman of the children and young persons scrutiny committee, Cllr John Griffiths, following his remarks on corporal punishment during a debate on the Ombudsman' report on the Stephanie Lawrence case.
On this occasion the Leader demonstrated his rather unattractive authoritarian tendencies by putting forward a proposal that the notice of motion be deferred to the following day's AGM (see Dodging the column).
The reason for this shabby anti-democratic manoeuvre was that soundings among his own troops led him to believe that if it went to the vote the opposition would carry the day.
Even so, six members of the IPG: Cllrs Martin Davies, Don Evans, Robin Evans, Wynne Evans, Henry Jones and Steve Watkins voted against the Leader's amendment.
Two members of the opposition, Cllrs Malcolm Calver (Truly Independent) and Carol Cavill (Plaid) abstained.
July 2005
My notice of motion calling for the revocation of the planning consent for an agricultural bungalow at Cwmbetws farm Eglwyswrw on the grounds that the planning committee's decision had been taken on the basis that there were 165 dairy cattle on the farm when, in fact the, cattle had been previously sold (see Herd instinct).
The IPG voted 35-0 against and were joined by Cllrs Ken Edwards, Simon Hancock, Umelda Havard, Ken Rowlands and Joyce Watson (all Labour).
Cllrs Martin Davies (Ind) and Carol Cavill and Moira Lewis (both Plaid) abstained.
May 2006
Opposition notice of motion that would have allowed written questions to be submitted by e-mail.
IPG voted 32-2 against with only Cllrs Martin Davies and Henry Jones refusing to toe the party line.
Carol Cavill (Plaid) abstained.July 2006
Notice of motion to remove plenary powers from senior staff committee.
This stemmed from the large pay rise awarded to the chief executive.
Opposition members proposed that this committee should only have the power to make recommendations to full council, thereby giving all members a say in matters of senior officer's pay.
Of 37 IPG members present 36 voted against the proposal and Cllr Henry Jones abstained.(see Blockheads)October 2006
Opposition notice of motion that all adverse Ombudsman's reports should be reported to full council.
The present situation is that only reports where the Ombudsman finds there has been injustice are so reported.
This proposal was in response to the case at Prospect Place Pembroke Dock where a council document had been forged to bring a particular application within a development brief (see Numbers game).
Because the Ombudsman found that the maladministration had not led to an injustice to the complainant, there was no requirement that the Ombudsman's findings be reported to members.
IPG voted to reject the proposal by 27-5 with Cllrs Martin Davies, Robin Evans, John George, Henry Jones and Elwyn Morse voting with the opposition and Steve Watkins abstaining.October 2006
Notice of motion submitted by Cllr Kate Becton that would have allowed applicants and objectors to address the planning committee.
Leader put forward an "amendment" extending the right to speak to planning site visits only (see All power).
IPG voted 30-3 for the Leader's "amendment" thereby killing off Cllr Becton's proposal.
Among IPG members, only Cllrs Mike Evans, Robin Evans and Steve Watkins refused to lend support to the Leader's unconstitutional wrecking tactic.December 2006
Opposition notice of motion to allow members of the public to ask questions at meetings of full council.
Such a system is already in place in Carmarthen.
Question time was to be limited to half-an-hour at the beginning of each meeting (2.5 hrs per year) and members of the public were to be restricted to a single question.
Any questions remaining unanswered at the end of the 30 minute period to receive a written answer.
Independent Political Group divided 36-0 on the issue.
Two members of the opposition: Malcolm Calver and Rod Bowen (Plaid) voted with the IPG.
Leading defectors up to the end of 2006 areIPG: Henry Jones 4, Martin Davies 3, Robin Evans 3, Steve Watkins 2 and Don Evans, Mike Evans, Wynne Evans, John George and Elwyn Morse one each.
If your councillor is a member of the IPG and their name doesn't appear on this list, they probably think "independent" means something different to what is to be found in the dictionary.