It seems there isn’t an area/community of Powys that Powys County Council hasn’t perturbed and disenfranchised with their vision for transforming education.

The entire cabinet and portfolio holder Cllr Phyl Davies seems to be sailing a ship with too few hands and lifeboats at full steam ahead into fog having ignored ice warnings, burnt all their nautical maps and thrown their ships and moral compasses overboard.

Cllr and cabinet member Iain Mackintosh’s recent high-principled resignation over the school closure in Cradoc being the latest torpedo to hit them below the waterline.

Here in Machynlleth 1,250 people signed a petition against the change from a dual-stream school to an all Welsh medium school - that’s three quarters of the adult population of the town. 250 people wrote letters of objection, with only four in support.

Three out of the four community councillors whose areas cover the catchment area of the school voted against the proposal, and the other didn’t vote.

Six school governors resigned over it, and were quickly replaced by co-option.

So what did Powys County Council do?

County Times: Cradoc Primary.Cradoc Primary.

They relied on an impact statement and held a rather woke online consultation that was hijacked by political and vested interest groups with very little stakeholdership in our town.

So a leaky unpopular ship was launched into rough seas.

These actions and decisions will lead to a massive shipwreck.

The victims are listed as our faith in democracy, our communities and our children’s education and futures as they drift away to neighbouring counties or in some cases countries.

Will someone note and say there is a ship lost to the waves of political grandstanding by a small minority of bullies who turn a blind eye/ deaf ear to the open bow door that is public opinion.

David Holt

Machynlleth