'You have been severely let down' - email attack on Powys parties

I don't claim to understand Powys politics. I'm not sure anybody does. But from what I'm hearing talks to form an administration have taken an even more bitter turn.

You may remember that no single party or group has overall control of the council following last week's local elections. The majority of councillors are independents. But they don't see eye to eye and have formed into two groups which are said to be at loggerheads.

Now Labour and the Liberal Democrats have also come under fire from a leading Brecon councillor who accuses them of 'self-serving cowardice' by 'deliberately choosing' to remain in opposition rather than to work with each other and the independents to try to reach an agreement.

And he claims that by refusing to try to take part in running the council, the cabinet will end up with a Montgomeryshire bias which will harm the Brecon part of Powys.

'To lead takes guts' writes Councillor Kevin Fitzpatrick in an email he's sent to his electors in Brecon, and 'the attitude of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and Labour shows that they have no guts.'

As I told you previously, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have ruled themselves out of trying to form an administration.

Labour says it's determined to provide strong scrutiny. A senior Liberal Democrat source told me the party's councillors take the view that the onus is on the independents to form an administration.

What's upset people apparently is that firstly Councillor Fitzpatrick has been a cabinet member and secondly the ferocity with which he's turned on his former party, the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

The source tells me it's highlighted the divisions between the two Independent groups and a power struggle between the two leaders.

However when I spoke to Councillor Fitzpatrick tonight he said he's had no emails, no calls, no response from any other councillors, despite expecting to be fielding complaints and calls.

And while he admitted he got his mileage wrong he told me he stands by his email. He said he thinks it's 'shameful' that two political parties should sit out talks to form an administration.

He said he and people living in his area feel 'shocked and upset' that they've ruled out taking part in talks even before they've really begun. They should, he thinks, feel duty bound at least to join in talks.

Here's the email in full:

*UPDATE *

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**I've heard from Councillor Fitzpatrick again. He says:

UPDATE 2 1315 15th May

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**Things may have moved on since I wrote this article but I wanted to add some of the response it received on twitter.