Madam,

Last week the Cambrian News was kind enough to print a letter relating my sense of pleasure at watching county councillors acting in a completely correct and democratic manner (‘Positive committee discussions are to be welcomed').

How disappointing then that the same few individuals seem hellbent on mismanaging the county council as if it were their personal fiefdom.

On 9 May, the Learning Communities Scrutiny Committee considered the proposal to make substantial financial cuts to the music service.

The committee decided that the report submitted by the council officers lacked sufficient detail as to how the service could be reconfigured to provide an equivalent level of services with an enormous drop in funds.

Accordingly, the committee recommended that the Cabinet consider postponing a decision until such time as more information be received relating to the report and further suggested including the Friends of Young Musicians group in future discussions.

Today (21 May) I read on social media that council leader Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn effectively vetoed the scrutiny committee and sent the matter back to the council officers, incomplete report and all, to do with the music services budget as they will.

Cllr ap Gwynn claims that as an ‘operational matter’, the Cabinet has no role in this issue. For heaven’s sake, if the Cabinet are not to involve themselves in the operation of the county council, then what is their function?

As the name suggests, the Scrutiny Committee holds the decisions and proposals of the council officers up to the light. If that safeguard can be overridden by the word of the council leader, then what checks and balances remain?

It begs the question as to who runs the county council, the elected members or the officers employed by the council?

If Cllr ap Gwynn has ceded control to the chief executive and the senior management team, then she has effectively made herself and her fellow councillors redundant and perhaps it is time for her to consider her own position.

Yours etc, George Holloway, Rhoshendre, Waunfawr, Aberystwyth.

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