THE leader of Powys County Council’s Conservative group has said that he is “sad” to lose a group member.

During the last month, Conservative group leader and council deputy leader Cllr Aled Davies has seen three members of his group depart.

At one point in the administration the Conservative group were 20 strong, but that number now stands at 12 to leave the Tories second to the Liberal Democrats as an official party group.

Last weekend it emerged that Cllr Mark Barnes had left to sit as an independent until the council election in May.

He claimed that that there has been a “lack of integrity” by the Conservative group which meant he could “no longer recommend them” to voters.

In response Cllr Davies said: “It is always sad to lose a group member.”

“Mark has made a really positive contribution to the group and council and he continues to be a good friend to me.”

At the turn of year, former cabinet member, James Evans resigned from the council to focus on his role as Conservative MS for Brecon and Radnorshire.

Before that Cllr Iain McIntosh left the group and the cabinet during a meeting on December 14, moments after Cradoc primary school in his ward was condemned to closure as part of a merger of schools around Brecon.

Cllr McIntosh is now an “unaligned” Conservative councillor, meaning all of the Brecon and Radnorshire Conservatives elected in 2017 have left either the group or council.

Commenting on the departure of Cllr Barnes, Cllr McIntosh said: “The Conservative group has achieved a lot, but some decisions that have been made, such as council tax increases and school closures, which go against the party’s manifesto, have resulted in far too many group departures.

“It is clearly time the Conservative group had a change of leadership, with someone with an appetite to reverse some of the school closure decisions, and be prepared to keep council tax rises at, or below, the rate of inflation this year and beyond.”

At the 2017 May local elections 19 Conservatives were elected, and Cllr McIntosh joined soon afterwards in a by-election for the Yscir ward.

In autumn 2019, former Conservative councillors Neil Morrison (Newtown South) and Sarah Lewis (Brecon St Mary) left the council.

Les Skilton held Newtown South, but in February 2021 left for Action for Powys in opposition to council tax increases, while Brecon St Mary was taken by Labour.

A third by-election held in Llandrindod North was won by Liberal Democrat Jake Berriman.

In May 2020, Cllr Claire Mills (Llanyre) left for the Abolish the Assembly party.

Then last February,  Cllr Gwilym Williams (Disserth and Trecoed), the former chairman of Brecon and Radnorshire Conservative Association, also defected to Action for Powys.