Councils' coalition talks latest (6)

Efforts to form an administration in Powys continue to cause interest. I told you here that opposition from Welsh leaders of both Labour and the Conservatives apparently led to the breakdown of what could have been an extraordinary Labour-Conservative-Independent coalition.

I now hear that what looks likely to emerge is a Tory-Independent minority administration which would have tacit support from the Labour group despite opposition from party leaders. The Lib Dems, I'm told, have agreed to sit on the sidelines if they're given the chair of a scrutiny committee.

Labour says its councillors won't get involved in running the council but will play an important role in scrutinising whoever does. And no deal is certain: whatever bad feeling exists between official parties, I gather it's nothing compared to hostility amongst the different groups of Independents.