COUNCILLOR Huw Murphy has claimed Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet is “fractured” following Cllr Jon Harvey’s decision not to seek re-election as leader.

Cllr Murphy, a member of the Independent Group, said the decision confirmed what he claimed many councillors already believed — that the Cabinet “no longer retains the confidence of a majority of elected members”.

He alleged that attempts by some Cabinet members to replace Cllr Harvey were aimed at preserving their own Cabinet positions and the additional allowances attached to them.

Cllr Murphy said: “The motto of Pembrokeshire County Council is ‘Ex Unitate Vires’ — in unity, strength. It is abundantly clear there has been no unity or strength in Cabinet for some time.”

He added that removing the leader would not, in itself, resolve what he described as wider Cabinet failure.

Cllr Murphy thanked Cllr Harvey for his service over the past two years and wished him well for the future, but said councillors now had an opportunity to choose “real change” by electing Cllr Anji Tinley as the next leader.

RESIDENTS and businesses in Tenby’s Walled Town are being urged to apply for vehicle access permits ahead of this year’s summer pedestrianisation scheme.

Pembrokeshire County Council said the annual scheme is due to begin on Monday, July 6, and run until Friday, September 11.

The restrictions will operate daily between 11:00am and 5:30pm.

As in previous years, the Walled Town will be divided into three zones, with each zone having different levels of vehicle access.

Full details of the scheme, including the online application form, will be available from Friday, May 1, on the council’s website at www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/tenby-pedestrianisation

Residents and businesses within the Walled Town are being encouraged to complete the application process as soon as possible once the documents go live.

The council said this will allow enough time for applications to be processed and for any additional checks to be carried out if further information is needed.

Permits are expected to be issued approximately seven to ten days before the scheme begins.

Paper application forms and guidance notes will no longer be delivered to residents and businesses within the Walled Town, meaning all permit requests must now be submitted online.

Permit holders are also being encouraged to continue planning journeys outside the restricted hours of 11:00am to 5:30pm wherever practical, in order to support the smooth running of the scheme.

Further information is available by emailing [email protected].

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is set for a three-way contest after council leader Jon Harvey confirmed he will not seek re-election when councillors vote to choose their next leader.

Cllr Harvey has led the council since his predecessor, Cllr David Simpson, stepped down in May 2024 after seven years in the post.

Independent Group councillor Anji Tinley announced her decision to contest the council leadership on April 24. However, she will not be the only contender to lead the authority. Conservative Group leader Di Clements and current Cabinet member Tessa Hodgson will also contest the election.

THE FINE BALANCE OF POWER

The vote could be very close.

The Conservatives have eleven councillors, the Independent Group has eighteen, with the balance held by fifteen unaffiliated councillors, three Plaid Cymru members, two Liberal Democrats, and nine Labour members.

There is one Reform UK councillor, Scott Thorley, and, following the death of Cllr Brian Hall last weekend, a vacant seat.

That leaves the council more or less evenly split between the loose coalition that supports the current administration and the two largest party groupings, the Independent Group and the Conservatives.

THE CANDIDATES

Cllr Tinley joined the local authority after winning the Haverfordwest Garth ward in the 2022 local authority election.

She replaced Cllr Huw Murphy as Independent Group leader earlier this year.

In the announcement of her decision to contest the leadership, an Independent Group spokesperson said: “Anji Tinley has the experience, determination and commitment needed to help restore confidence in the council and ensure that the voices of all residents are properly heard.”

Cllr Di Clements has been the county councillor for Martletwy since 2017.

She has led the Conservative Group on Pembrokeshire County Council since 2022, and is a former chairperson of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

In 2024, she narrowly lost the council leadership election to Jon Harvey by 30 votes to 27.

Cllr Tessa Hodgson has been a member of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet since 2017.

An experienced councillor, Cllr Hodgson appeared well-placed to replace former leader David Simpson in 2024. However, despite broad support for her candidacy, she declined to put her name forward.

Known for her independent thinking and relentless attention to detail, Cllr Hodgson has performed well in the social services hot seat over several years.

NEW LEADER FACES OLD PROBLEMS

The Conservative and Independent groups think there is a need for change ahead of next year’s county council elections.

There have been rumblings of discontent among those generally supportive of the current administration, and a leadership vote could crystallise those feelings.

That said, Tessa Hodgson is a strong candidate — almost certainly the strongest available to the current administration.

The practical result of a change of leadership, and in the event of either a Conservative or Independent Group win, a new Cabinet, with a year to go to the next council election, is less certain.

The annual budget is set, the council tax rates are determined, and the room for manoeuvre is limited. What a new Cabinet can do within the current funding model is constrained by programmes already in place and funded for the next year.

Moreover, the identities of those who might serve, or be persuaded to serve, in a new Cabinet are similarly limited.

A change of direction would likely mean the shedding of Labour cabinet members and the possible exit of the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru from the administration.

Whether unaffiliated members such as Michelle Bateman, Tessa Hodgson, or Jacob Williams would join a council led by either Di Clements or Anji Tinley, or even be asked to do so, is open to question.

Meanwhile, whether Tessa Hodgson is prepared to significantly reshape the Cabinet and either broaden its base or reduce the influence of party groups within it could be a significant factor in how swing voters decide to cast their ballot.

It’s a close call.

But whatever the result, there is one thing for certain. Whoever the new leader of Pembrokeshire County Council is, they will, for the first time, be a woman.