Leader of the Powys Welsh Conservative group Cllr Aled Davies has criticised the actions of opposition group leaders, following the announcement of their plans to vote down the budget later this month.

Powys Council’s Welsh Liberal Democrat leader James Gibson-Watt, Welsh Labour leader Matthew Dorrance, Action for Powys leader Jeremy Pugh, and Plaid Cymru leader Elwyn Vaughan issued a joint statement last Monday, which signalled their opposition to the financial plans of the Independent and Conservative controlled council.

The group said they opposed the council’s proposed budget and council tax increase, claiming the former is full of risk and savings proposals that lack credibility.

However, Cllr Davies, also Deputy Leader of Powys County Council, has hit back, claiming the group’s announcement lacks credibility, as they have failed to produce an alternative budget.

Cllr Davies said: “The ‘announcement’ in the press last week by the Lib Dems and Labour groups on Powys County Council that they will try and vote down the budget later this month lacks all credibility. Legislation dictates that a Council must set a balanced budget before the 11th March, failure to do so will have a significant impact not only on the Council and the vital services that it delivers, but also the precepting authorities such as the police, fire service and Town and Community Councils.

“Opposition groups must produce an alternative budget proposal, if they are to retain any credibility, before they entertain the possibility of voting against the budget. They were offered all the support necessary to produce an alternative, but they didn’t. The only conclusion that I can draw is that they are either happy with our proposed budget or they are just more interested in political point scoring.”

Cllr Davies also criticised Labour and the Liberal Democrats for their ‘callous disregard’ towards residents who depend on the council’s services. He also commended the strength of the council’s proposed budget and pointed towards the extra funding that would be injected into vital areas.

Cllr Davies said: “Lib Dem and Labour’s callous disregard of our residents that depend on the vital services the Council delivers is shocking. The Council has a legal duty to provide a range of statutory services, such as refuse collection, children’s services and education. I do not want delivery of those services to be put at risk.

“This budget that I and the Cabinet are proposing is robust, it protects and invests in the frontline services while keeping the council tax increase to a minimum. It delivers the Real Living Wage to all care workers who have gone above and beyond through the last two years of the pandemic.

“Services that care of our most vulnerable children and deliver care to elderly will get an additional £9.2 million. Schools and the education service which have also had to battle with the ever changing Covid regulations will receive an additional £5million. Highways Transport and Recycling will get a £2.5million uplift to their revenue budget.

“We will see on the later this month which Councillors truly care about service delivery and which councillors are just callous political opportunists.”