A Powys county councillor has criticised Welsh Government guidance on public commemorations, warning it could open the door to politicised decisions about historic monuments - despite Brecon Town Council confirming it has no plans to remove the Duke of Wellington statue.

Cllr Iain McIntosh (Reform UK), who represents Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew, wrote to Brecon Town Council asking whether it would consider reviewing, relocating or removing commemorations such as the statue, which has stood near St Mary’s Church since 1856.

The council confirmed in its official response that the Wellington statue is not under threat and that renovation work is due to take place in September. The council also said an interpretive plaque would be added nearby to provide historical context regarding the statue’s reference to Sir Thomas Picton, a British Army officer with links to the slave trade.

Following a follow-up query from the Brecon & Radnor Express, the town council clarified that no other commemorative items, plaques, or place names are currently under review, and no additional public requests for changes have been received. Future requests, it said, would be dealt with on a "case-by-case" basis.

Cllr McIntosh welcomed the reassurances but maintained his criticism of the Welsh Government’s published guidance, Public Commemoration in Wales, which he said risked allowing “activists” to dictate which parts of history are deemed acceptable.

He said: “I welcome Brecon Town Council’s confirmation that the Duke of Wellington statue will not be removed and that renovation works are due to take place later this year. It’s also reassuring to hear that no other commemorative items, plaques, or place names in Brecon are currently under review, and that the council has not received any public requests to change or remove them.

“Given this, the Welsh Government must now explain why they felt it necessary to publish such far-reaching guidance when there is clearly no public appetite for tearing down or rewriting our history. It appears this agenda is being driven not by local communities, but by politicians and activists intent on imposing their own ideology on our shared heritage.

“While Brecon Town Council says future decisions will be handled on a ‘case-by-case’ basis, they have not guaranteed that residents will be properly consulted before any further changes are made — nor did they respond to my request for the council to take a clear stand in defence of our history and identity.

“These commemorations matter. They reflect the values, people, and events that shaped our communities — and they should be preserved with honesty and pride. I will continue to speak up for the residents of Brecon and Powys who want to see our heritage protected from politicisation and quietly rewritten narratives.”

The Welsh Government commemoration guidance encourages public bodies to consider how monuments, statues, plaques and place names reflect Wales’s diverse history, and to review commemorations where there are concerns over contested or colonial legacies.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The purpose of the guidance is to help public bodies reach well-informed decisions about existing and future commemorations.

“It makes no specific recommendations about what decisions to make or what action to take. All decisions should be developed through public consultation.”

Brecon Town Council previously dealt with concerns raised about a plaque commemorating Captain Thomas Phillips - which was removed and handed to y Gaer museum for display with explanatory context following public consultation.

Regarding the restoration of the Wellington monument, a spokesperson for the town council said: “Every effort will be made to minimise disruption to the surrounding area during this time.

“In addition to the restoration, Brecon Town Council is also exploring ways to provide contextual information relating to the reference to Sir Thomas Picton which can be found on the statue’s plinth. We recognise that this is a sensitive subject, and further details on how this will be addressed will be shared in due course.

“Brecon Town Council remains committed to maintaining and interpreting our shared heritage in a responsible and inclusive manner.”