THE new Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrat Group on Powys County Council has strongly criticised the Conservative group members.

They were criticised for their ruling board for abstaining on the council tax vote taken at a meeting in Powys County Hall last week.

Following a long debate, the Board voted to throw out a Powys Independent Alliance Group proposal for a 3.99 percent increase and instead agreed to recommend an increase of 2.99 percent to the full County Council when it next meets to set the Council's budget for 2009/10, with the Welsh Lib Dem group indicating it may well propose a lower 2.75 percent increase when the matter reaches full council. 

Commenting on the vote, councillor Davies said, "The Conservatives came forward with no firm proposals of their own and for them to abstain on such a crucial matter shows that they are not prepared to take the responsibility that being in local government places on councillors. If they did not like the 2.99 percent proposal they should have voted against it, rather than abstaining, which was very weak in my view. It is difficult to take the Conservative Group seriously if it does not feel able to take part in the most important vote to face councillors each year."