Outlawed and a rumoured defection

Update

Woops. Thanks to a correspondent who has written in to advise me that while the Miss Marple story below may be true, it took place a couple of years ago. That's what you get for reporting Christmas party gossip, I suppose.

Meanwhile Theatrau Sir Gâr has a special treat in store for the citizens of Llanelli who will be flocking to the new Ffwrnes theatre in the East Gate development later this month to watch that evergreen performer, Jim Davidson. The blurb promises that he will be as dangerous as ever, and that the show is STRICTLY for adults only.

Following on from Jim Davidson will be the cast of Horrible Histories, although it is not clear whether the routine will include material provided by the County Council.

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A Happy New Year to all readers of this blog, including those who spend so much time monitoring Cneifiwr's outpourings in County Hall, as we begin another 12 months chronicling life in Carmarthenshire.

Any hopes that the Kremlin on the Tywi would turn a new page and usher in an era of transparency, respect for democracy and free speech have, sadly, already been dashed as reports have come in over the last few days of a new initiative by County Hall to try to silence its critics.

It seems that letters have gone out to at least some of our elected representatives, including MP Nia Griffith (Llanelli, Lab), urging them not to enter into correspondence with various named "troublemakers".

So who are these dangerously subversive troublemakers? Are they members of some obscure Trotskyist cell working for the overthrow of local government as we know it, or perhaps jackbooted paramilitary fascists under the hypnotic influence of a megalomaniac demagogue?

Neither of those things in the case of at least one of the suspects on the list whose biography reads more like Miss Marple, that upstanding old trout pillar of society who got up the noses of outwardly respectable local bigwigs hiding guilty secrets by asking the occasional impertinent question.

This woman may be armed with a biro and a copy of the South Wales Guardian

Both Miss Marple and Nia Griffith were understood to be gobsmacked by this letter, since Miss Marple does not live in the Labour MP's constituency and has not previously corresponded with her. But you can't be too careful.

It remains to be seen if only Labour Members of Parliament and Assembly Members have received a warning, or whether it also went to Plaid Cymru representatives who are not normally on County Hall's Christmas card list.

Regular readers of the Carmarthen Journal may have noticed that Miss Marple, who used to write the occasional letter to the editor, has not appeared in that paper's letters pages for a long time, thanks to a fatwa issued by County Hall last year.

Not content with ensuring that malcontents such as Miss Marple no longer have a voice in the local press, it seems that County Hall now wants to sweep aside the Human Rights Act and deny them access to their elected representatives. They are, in effect, outlaws to be deprived of their usual civic rights for daring to criticise the County Council's top brass.

Watch this space.

In other news, Llanelli Town Council has rejected a motion proposing that the town take back powers from the County Council. The BBC carries a summary here.

Caebrwyn is reporting that Cllr Theressa Bowen (Labour, Llwynhendy) has taken the logical step of transferring her political allegiance from Labour to Pam Palmer's "Independents". If true, this defection could have major implications for the ruling Labour-Independent coalition. Currently Labour has 23 members, while the Independents have 21, not including maverick "a plague on all your houses" John Jenkins.

The defection would certainly not improve relations in the "Dream Team", and would lead to some very interesting negotiations in the middle of this year when the coalition agreement comes up for renewal. Kev's grip on the limo keys would certainly be weakened, opening up the appalling prospect of a council run by Pam Palmer. But as Cllr Bowen appears to have recognised, Pam already wears the trousers.

In the cynical world of council politics, Kev's best hope may be for one of Pam's elderly backbenchers to get a move on and transfer to the Great County Council in the Sky, with Plaid picking up a seat in a subsequent by-election.

Perish the thought.