Archive - Wednesday, 16 June 2004


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All change for Monmouthshire County Council

ITS ALL change for Monmouthshire County Council, as the Conservatives ousted Labour members following last week's elections.

The ruling party has 23 seats on the council, while Labour drop to eight. The Liberal Democrats doubled their seats to four and the Independents remain at five seats. And for the first time Plaid Cymru, The Party of Wales, have two seats on the most Anglicised council in Wales.

A total of 21 new councillors were elected to the local authority, and among these are Monmouth's outgoing mayor, Cllr Susan White, who won the hotly

contested battle in the Overmonnow electoral division. Another former mayor of the town, Cllr Eileen Goodrich, was elected to the

council after polling more votes than Dick Cass in the Dixton with Osbaston electoral division.

Newcomer Elizabeth Hacket-Pain won the Wyesham electoral division for the Conserva-tives, in a seat that was held by the former leader of the council David Waring, who had stood down.

Shock waves reverberated across the county and at County Hall in Cwmbran when it was realised that four long-standing Labour councillors had lost their seats:

Gwyn Eburn, who was chairman of the planning committee, Giles Howard, Andre Arkell and Maureen Roach.

The clerk to Monmouth Town Council, Ann Webb, was elected as a county councillor in the St Arvans ward, and Robert Greenland won the new seat that was created in Devauden.

Monmouth MP Huw Edwards said that national politics and international affairs played too prominent a role in the recent elections, which should have focused on the record of local councillors and the commitment to serving their local communities.

In the community council elections, Tim Buckland narrowly beat Drew Lacey to win the town ward seat on Monmouth Town Council by six votes following a recount.