Wrexham Council Leader Branded Liar – Pritchard Stands By His Comments

Local MP Ian Lucas has said Wrexham Council Leader Mark Pritchard’s recollection of comments made regarding Council mergers are fiction – with former AM (now candidate) Lesley Griffiths branding Cllr Pritchard comments ‘a lie’.

On Wednesday evening a meeting was held over possible implications of Council mergers on Community Councils – with fears expressed Wrexham could lose up to 30 of its Community Councils. (you can read our meeting report here.)

During the meeting Cllr Pritchard stated: “Lesley Griffiths, Ken Skates, Susan Elan Jones, Ian Lucas, they all support one authority in North Wales’, saying specifically, “They made it clear they wanted to reduce Community Councils”.

Yesterday two letters were sent to Cllr Prichard stating those comments are untrue. Wrexham.com also received copies of the letters.

Local Welsh Labour Assembly candidate, and former Wrexham AM until recently, Lesley Griffiths wrote to Cllr Pritchard stating: “You are quoted as stating I ‘support one authority in North Wales’. This is a lie. You need to retract this statement and apologise publicly for this misrepresentation. I do not support one authority in North Wales and have never stated that.

“I however, along with thousands of Wrexham people I speak to, do support a reduction in the number of Councils across Wales in order to save money and protect public services.”

Local MP Ian Lucas also has written to Cllr Pritchard stating: “I am not and have never been in favour of a single authority for North Wales. I do not favour reduction in the number of Community Councils. In fact, I think they should have greater powers.

“It really is not appropriate for you to misrepresent me in this way. I would like you to withdraw these untrue statements.”

Wrexham.com spoke with Cllr Pritchard after receipt of Lesley Griffiths’ letter, however prior to the correspondence from Mr Lucas. We relayed the key elements of Lesley Griffiths’ letter and asked for comment.

Cllr Pritchard reiterated his comments from Wednesday again today us, referring to a meeting where he says contrary opinions on a single Council for North Wales were aired between himself and Ian Lucas, Lesley Griffiths, Susan Elan Jones and Ken Skates.

Mr Lucas says he has no knowledge of the topic being discussed with Cllr Pritchard, writing in his letter: “You have never discussed these matters with me and have no right to mislead people about what I think and what my views are.

Mr Lucas’s letter to Cllr Pritchard was copied to Wrexham Council’s Chief Legal Officer, noting: “I think you need to discuss matters with him.”

Lesley Griffiths’ letter also calls into question the point of last night’s meeting, “The issues you discuss around proposals for Local Government and Community Councils will be a matter for the next Welsh Government. You are fully aware the consultation period for the White Paper has now closed, rendering your meeting completely irrelevant.”

Cllr Pritchard responded yesterday: “If she thinks it was irrelevant she is completely wrong. It is about local democracy at a local level, which I am passionate about. The difficulty we all have is they are going to reduce the number of Community Councils.”

“Lesley has made it clear to me on numerous occasions she supports one authority in North Wales, one big authority, and the impact of that is then there will come a reduction in the number of Community Councils.

“The bigger agenda is that they want to run everything from Cardiff, and I will not support that either.”

When read the accusation from Lesley Griffiths that the claim she supported a single authority was ‘a lie’, the response from Cllr Pritchard was blunt, saying: “I don’t tell lies.”

Cllr Pritchard, stated a ‘big hole’ was being dug and he was ‘staggered’ at the comments. He added: “I was in a meeting with Ian Lucas, Lesley, Susan Elan Jones, Ken Skates in my office and I told them I could not support the merger. Ken came out publicly saying he supported a one authority in North Wales. They all did.

“If they feel one authority in North Wales is right for Wales thats fine, let them justify it. I don’t think it is right.”

As noted in our meeting report there were issues with some Assembly candidates not attending the event due to late invites, and as we noted our own invite did not materialise.

Lesley Griffiths in her letter to Cllr Pritchard said: “If you were serious in wanting my attendance, you should have given me more than 24 hours’ notice. As I explained in my email to the Clerk of Esclusham Community Council, I received the invitation on the evening of 12th April.

“I now understand Community Councils received their invitations three weeks ago.”

Mr Lucas notes there appears to be some attempt to open, or reopen dialogue from Wrexham Council over mergers, writing: “I understand that you contacted my office today asking for a meeting to discuss Local Government reorganisation.

“I see no purpose in such a meeting until after the National Assembly for Wales Election. In any event, I have no time for such a meeting in the foreseeable future.”

We are expecting a further reply from Cllr Pritchard and will update as and when that is received.

Local Labour Councillor Andrew Bailey has weighed in on the topic on the forums, you can read his post and resulting thread by clicking here…