A FORMER cabinet member has left Powys County Council’s majority Independent Ruling group as he says cannot not support the council leadership anymore

Councillor Liam Fitzpatrick, who represents the residents of Talybont -on-Usk, will now sit as a non-aligned member.

It is expected that last week’s defeated budget will be discussed again at the Full Council meeting on March 7, and discussions are taking place to tweak it.

Cllr Fitzpatrick said: “I cannot vote on the March 7 for people who year on year have been responsible for damage to our beautiful county and its residents .

“A vote for their budget on March 7 is a vote for them to continue in power and for some of my residents to continue in poverty.”

Cllr Fitzpatrick pointed to the spiralling costs of Children’s Service as a sign of poor financial management and that the issues go back several years.

Cllr Fitzpatrick added: “It is obvious that the situation we are in today is a result of previous cabinets’  errors over many years who, rather than act  appropriately and responsibly, kicked the can down the road which has resulted in the  cruel budget which was overthrown last week .

“Regardless of what the budget will be when we reconvene I do not want to be associated with a cabinet that is not listening to its residents or councillors.”

He added “I will of course always represent my residents and support any Rainbow coalition or new movement or group  that will restore confidence in Powys which is at its lowest level  in 12 years . ”

In March 2018, Cllr Fitzpatrick was one of two who left the Cabinet having held the Highways portfolio holder.

Cllr Jonathan Wilkinson (Conservative – Meifod) also stepped down due to ill health.

Cllr Fitzpatrick joins Cllrs Joy Jones (Newtown East) and Gary Price (Llandrindod North) as non-aligned councillors.

This also means that the Independent Group falls to 28 members and the ruling Independent/Conservative coalition has 47 out of 73 councillors.