Powys Reform UK group leader Cllr Iain McIntosh has accused the county council’s ruling administration of trying to “silence public concern” ahead of a debate on a motion about asylum and migration.

The motion, titled “Social Cohesion”, will be discussed at Powys County Council’s full meeting this Thursday (October 9). It calls on councillors to tackle misinformation about asylum seekers and reaffirm the authority’s commitment to being a county of sanctuary.

The proposal has been put forward by Cllr Richard Church (Liberal Democrat – Welshpool Castle) and seconded by Cllr Matthew Dorrance (Labour – Brecon West).

The motion asks the council to resolve the following six points:

(1) To recognise the risk to our communities and to our council if we allow misinformation, and the fear, suspicion, intolerance and discrimination that it generates, to persist unchallenged.

(2) To correct misinformation on asylum and migration wherever it occurs.

(3) To work with partners to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our communities, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation or other protected characteristics.

(4) To reaffirm our intention to be a county of sanctuary.

(5) To ensure, as an anti-racist council, that racism is confronted wherever it occurs, in the school, in the workplace and on the street, with particular consideration to protecting the wellbeing of our own staff.

(6) To reaffirm our role as councillors in tackling misinformation and building stronger, cohesive communities.

But Cllr McIntosh, who represents Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew, said he and his Reform UK colleagues would vote against it.

He said: "This motion is not about promoting unity, it’s a political stunt designed to brand anyone who raises genuine concerns about immigration as racist or misinformed. That is deeply offensive."

Cllr McIntosh claimed the council had no accurate record of how many asylum seekers or illegal immigrants were currently living in Powys, saying officers had admitted the Home Office could place people in the county without notifying the authority.

He also criticised the council for submitting an Expression of Interest to take in more asylum seekers “without knowing the current figures or assessing the impact on local housing, schools, or healthcare.”

“That’s not responsible - that’s reckless,” he said. “The vast majority of people in Powys support legal immigration, but they are rightly concerned about the impact of illegal immigration, and it’s not racist to say so.”

Cllr McIntosh added: "This motion is not about cohesion, it’s about shutting down debate. I urge Cllrs Richard Church and Matthew Dorrance to withdraw it immediately."

The Social Cohesion motion is one of the items on the agenda to be debated at Powys County Council’s full meeting in County Hall, Llandrindod Wells, on Thursday, October 9.