Relationship reset between First Minister and Wrexham Council Leader

There appears to be a reset in relationships between the position of First Minister and the position of Leader of Wrexham Council.

Wrexham’s council leader appeared to have a strained relationship with the previous First Minister, with Mark Drakeford making a now infamous speech about how “the citizens of Wrexham thought they were electing a council fit for a city and have ended up in Clochemerle”.

At this month’s media brief we took the chance to ask Cllr Mark Pritchard if he had met the new First Minister and if there had been a reboot of relations following the well documented historic issues.

Cllr Pritchard said, “Yes, I have met the First Minister. Obviously, we have had discussions with a lot of the new ministers.

“With regards to relationships, I think relationships are born out of partnerships and working together. All we are asking in Wrexham, is no different than the other 22 councils? We’re not different. We’ve all got the same issues. All we ask is that local authorities are funded appropriately to run services. That is coming from Wrexham, from Cardiff, from RCT, from everywhere – we just wanted to be funded accordingly.

“I am here to represent Wrexham and give no apologies as Leader of the Council and Lead Member of Finance to challenge both governments for extra money. That’s what I need to do. That’s my goal.

Picking out the previous references made on the floor of the Senedd around Mayor Barthelemy Piechut (a ‘crafty individual and consummate schemer’) who was looking for a personal legacy to show the superiority and progress of the village of Clochemerle, we asked if he could work with Vaughan Gething better?

Cllr Pritchard replied, “What can I say? I was disappointed with the First Minister at the time. I didn’t come out publicly and say anything, but anyone of that stature, whether it’s me as Lead Member, or the First Minister, whether it’s the Prime Minister, them things shouldn’t have be said. Did I go public on it? No. Will I say more than I am saying now? No.

“I do look forward to working with the new First Minister, and the new Minister for North Wales. It is very difficult when you’re a leader of the council because you’re not a popular person when you’re challenging senior politicians.

“I look forward to working with them both, talking to Ken Skates it is looking really positive. Lets see what the future holds.

We asked for his thoughts on the apparently enhanced ‘Minister of the North’ position, and Ken Skates MS who holds that position.

Cllr Pritchard said, “I look forward to working with him again, I have worked with Ken before very successfully on the Economic Ambition Board, on the Mersey Dee Alliance. I find him a very trustworthy and honest person. What I like about the Minister, he’s from North Wales, he understands North Wales and will fight for North Wales.

“It is not just about North Wales, I live in North Wales, and I want North Wales to be successful. We work as six leaders across North Wales together. There’s no politics, you have Independents, Conservatives, Labour, you have Plaid Cymru. You have got to work together, and that’s all I’m hoping that we can go forward with this new government – and it’s looking very positive at the moment. Let’s see what the future holds.”