POWYS County Council could be cut up and Brecon and Radnorshire freed from its binds to Montgomeryshire – if a would be politician’s proposals are accepted.

Brexit Party prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) Oliver Lewis has called for a referendum to be held that could see Montgomeryshire leave Powys County Council and re-establish itself as a local authority.

Mr Lewis said: "Following our election, either as a majority government or in coalition, we will hold a referendum for the residents of Montgomeryshire to vote on leaving Powys."

At present the historic county of Montgomeryshire remains as a Parliamentary and Welsh Assembly constituency but is tied with the neighbouring constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire to form the Powys County Council local authority area.

Last year county councillors, in a cost saving exercise, agreed to scrap the council’s three shire committees which met to make some decisions on a shire basis and also discuss issues of concern to those areas.

The Brexit candidate said towns in the old shire are too remote from Powys’ administrative centre: "Powys is unfathomably big” – from Welshpool to our ‘county town’ Llandrindod Wells it is a four-hour return trip and for those living north of Welshpool it’s even longer.”

“It simply cannot make sense to have issues decided by people so far away.”

The suggestion has however been dismissed as a "gimmick" by opponents of Mr Lewis who is the anti-EU party’s prospective candidate for Montgomeryshire.

Kishan Devani who will be the Liberal Democrat candidate for the northern Powys seat, said: “This is absurd, it’s a gimmick.

"We have strong Liberal Democrat councillors at PCC who are holding the Independent/Conservative administration to account.

"This is a cynical attempt to avoid discussing the harm a no deal Brexit will do to the farmers of Montgomeryshire."

Conservative PPC Craig Willaims: "I’m born and bred in Montgomeryshire and know of the strong feelings people had, when the shires became PCC. But we can’t afford this navel gazing which would also put a strain on public funds.”

Plaid Cymru will contest the general election in Montgomeryshire, despite opting against standing in the recent Brecon and Radnorshire by-election, and said there could be a case for reforming local government.

But its prospective candidate, Elwyn Vaughan, who is also Plaid’s group leader on Powys council, warned: "Communities such as the Dyfi Valley have more in common with Aberystwyth and Ceredigion than other parts of Powys.

"But merely going back to Montgomeryshire without the required funding, will itself not answer the problems. We need investment – that is the priority."

Despite the Brexit candidate’s proposals a referendum on breaking up Powys could be unlikely.

Local government is a devolved issue meaning even if Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage finds himself in the UK Government such a referendum would need to be sanctioned by the Welsh Government in Cardiff.

The proposal may also be out of line with the Brexit Party’s stance. The party has four members in the Welsh Assembly, who all defected after originally being elected as UKIP AMs, and are led by former UKIP and Conservative member Mark Reckless.

During the summer’s Brecon and Radnorshire by-election campaign Mr Reckless told The Brecon & Radnor Express the party supported the re-organisation of Welsh local government in favour of larger councils.

He suggested the current system of 22 local authorities is unaffordable and that the party could support plans previously announced by the Labour government, but since dropped, to have only around nine or 10 unitary authorities.

Under those plans Powys would have remained as it is seen as too big to merge with others.

Established in 1889, Montgomeryshire County Council was abolished along with Brecknockshire and Radnorshire when Powys County Council was formed in 1974.

It remained as a district council under Powys County Council until another reorganisation in 1996.

If successful, the new Montgomeryshire County Council, with around 70,000 residents, would have roughly the same size population as Ceredigion, or Ynys Môn County Councils.

Brecon and Radnorshire would have a smaller population and could be then be a candidate for merger with other local authorities if it was deemed too small to continue.