Independent Group Members Decline Reshuffle at Torfaen Borough Council, Councillor Explains

COUNCILLORS who form what had been the smallest group on their local authority aren’t “spineless or a walkover” one of its members has said. 
Councilllr Janet Jones was addressing Torfaen Borough Council as to why her Torfaen Independent Group had declined to force a reshuffle of committee chairs and memberships as a result of its expansion. 
The group gained an additional member as Cwmbran St Dials councillor Catherine Bonera quit the Independent Group to join Blaenavon members Cllr Jones and Nick Horler and Cwmbran Two Locks councillor Ron Burnett in what had been the three strong group. 
As a result the two groups of independent councillors and Reform UK, who all form the opposition on the Labour controlled council, each have four members. 
Under local government legislation committee membership and the chairs of scrutiny committees must reflect the political balance of the council but its September meeting was told despite the changes it had been agreed existing arrangements should continue for the remainder of the municipal year leading to the council elections in May. 
Cllr Jones said her group recognised a number of previous changes in memberships of other groups had caused “disruption and unnecessary work” for council officers. 
The Blaenavon councillor said her group wanted to avoid further disruption and additional costs and said: “That doesn’t mean as a group we are spineless or a walkover, it does say as a group we want to work collaboratively across the council and put the effective running of this council before any political advantage.” 
The council’s Labour leader, Panteg member Anthony Hunt, said: “I welcome that commitment to work across group boundaries.”  ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​