THE Conservative contender for the Brecon and Radnorshire seat has criticised incumbent Kirsty Williams over AMs’ pay.

Gary Price told the first hustings of the local campaign for this year’s Welsh Assembly elections he "lived happily" on his current £21,000 a year salary as a postman in Llandrindod Wells.

Mr Price, who is also a Powys County Councillor, told the meeting at Brecon’s Castle Hotel: "I earn £21,000 as a postman and I live happily on that. If I was an AM I could probably live happily on that."

The Conservative promised he won’t take an increase if elected as the Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire. But it was unclear if he was referring to the 18%, or £10,000, pay rise due to all AMs elected in May or the current basic £54,000 salary for backbench AMs.

"I give you my guarantee should I be elected I won’t be taking any pay increase," said Mr Price who criticised the Welsh Liberal Democrats for voting against the £10,000 salary hike.

Mr Price said though the party led by Ms Williams had voted against the bumper pay rise three of its five members already receive salaries of more than £64,000.

Earlier during the near three hour long hustings Mr Price, in response to a question on health spending, said: "Why should someone on £71,000 a year, like the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, have a free prescription?"

Ms Williams said her party had voted against the Assembly Commission’s budget, which allocates the money for the pay rise, but wasn’t supported by other parties.

"Fair play to Labour and Plaid Cymru, they said they disagreed with it but it was recommended by an independent process," said Ms Williams.

"The only politician who got up and said we deserved to have the money and harangued me in the chamber and told me I was a disgrace was a Conservative. You are right Gary, actions do speak louder than words and my party voted against it."

Ms Williams also said the Conservative leader in the Assembly is paid more than her and that members of all parties receive additional salaries for chairing committees. She called the £10,000 rise "outrageous".

A woman in the audience at the Castle Hotel criticised Mr Price. She said she was a Labour supporter but said Mr Price had made personal attacks at the meeting.

Last year, when the £10,000 rise was first announced, Ms Williams said she would not accept the increase.

Earlier the candidates had also clashed following a question on whether they would support schools being directly funded by the Welsh Government, a Conservative policy.

Mr Price said Powys council currently took about £30m from schools funding, but acknowledged that also covered school transport costs.

Ms Williams said the council also held funds for children with special educational needs and feared what would happen to "some of our most vulnerable" children if the funding was changed.

She said she disagreed with Powys council’s current school closure proposals but said the Welsh Government would be willing to fund alternative plans.

Labour’s Alex Thomas criticised Powys council for not following the Welsh Government’s policy of passing an additional 1% on top of the money allocated for schools.

Plaid Cymru’s Freddy Greaves said he didn’t think Wales should "go down the same road as England" as he said there is evidence teachers are leaving the profession.

Green Party candidate Grenville Ham said his party was "totally against" any school closures and said there are questions around the accountability of academies in England. He said: "Schools are no longer run by people we’ve elected."