A WELSH language champion is to be named by Powys County Council after no Welsh speakers were appointed to its new cabinet.

Council leader David Jones announced his new cabinet and their areas of responsibility this week - after the council's previous administration dissolved following an ill fated attempt by Councillor Jones to form a coalition.

However Cllr Jones could lose the leadership of the council - and with it the right to form a ruling cabinet administration - if he fails to win a confidence vote at an extraordinary general meeting of the council on January 10 called by his former cabinet colleague Cllr Graham Brown.

The political wrangling comes as Powys County Council must grapple with a £40 million reduction in its budget over the next three years.

Cllr Brown was sacked from the nine member cabinet after Cllr Jones pressed ahead with plans for a coalition but only succeeded in achieving a mass desertion from his ruling minority group, the Shires Independent Group (SIG).

Most former members of the SIG have since formed the 13 strong Independent Group.

Cllr Jones joined former rival independents, the Powys Independent Alliance (PIA) and has chosen eight of his cabinet from within its ranks, with only himself and Hay-on-Wye councillor Gareth Ratcliffe remaining from the previous SIG cabinet. The PIA remains the largest group on the council and now has 26 members, 37 votes are required for a majority on the 73 member body.

However there are no Welsh speakers on the new cabinet and the council has said Cllr Jones will be seeking to appoint a Welsh Language Champion from outside the cabinet to ensure issues around the Welsh Language are appropriately represented.

Cllr Myfanwy Alexander had responsibility for the Welsh language on the previous cabinet, and was its only Welsh speaker, but was one of the first three cabinet members sacked by Cllr Jones in an attempt to find cabinet positions for PIA members as part of the coalition deal that backfired.

Cllr Jones said: "My decision to change the cabinet was not taken lightly. The council is an independent body and it is fitting that the cabinet is made up of members from the largest independent groups. The interests of our communities far outweigh those of individual groups and we have to work together for the benefit of our residents.

"The changes may signal a new era for the council but it does not lessen the financial or service delivery challenges we face. Whatever decisions we consider in the months ahead, and some will be very difficult, they must be done in a mature and responsible way with the best interests of our citizens at their heart.

"I am confident that the new cabinet has the ability and determination to tackle the very serious financial challenges facing the council."

For more on this story see this week's Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now