Anglesey Council to discuss political balance of committees

Anglesey County Council is due to discuss the re-alignment of the political balance of its committees.

It comes after a reduction in the number of Plaid Cymru members and an increase in non-affiliated members.

It also follows a delay in making a decision to await the outcomes of a by-election. The council must review the balance of its committees annually, its last review was in May, 2026.

A change to the Plaid Cymru group membership occurred at the end of May, when one member left to become an independent, non-affiliated member.

A change to the Plaid Cymru group membership occurred at the end of May, when one member left to become an independent, non-affiliated member.

There were now 18 Plaid Cymru members (down one), Anglesey Independents, seven, Y Grŵp Annibynnol, four, Welsh Labour, three and unaffiliated members three (up by one) – totalling 35, a report said.

It stated that the council’s political group leaders had also agreed not to review the political balance of its committees immediately, instead waiting until after the Bro’r Llynnoedd by-election on July 30.

It was triggered by the sudden death of Plaid Cymru Cllr Keith Taylor and won by his grandson, also for Plaid, Cllr Jon Paul Taylor.
A council spokesperson said the political balance report had been delayed “in case more changes were required.”

The member who had left the Plaid group was confirmed as Cllr Llio Owen and it was noted “for the purposes of political balance” Cllr Celfyn Furlong was also unaffiliated, even though he was a Reform councillor.

“This is because you need at least two members to form a political group on the Council. Cllr Doug Fowlie is the third unaffiliated member.”

A report noted that “committee seats are for political groups and there is no specific right for unaffiliated members to any seat, apart from on the county council itself.

“If there is no objection from the county council, it is possible to assign unallocated seats to those members.”

However “if any member of the county council opposes the principle of assigning unallocated seats to the three unaffiliated members, the seats will remain unallocated.”

The matter will come before an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, August 13.

By Dale Spridgeon – Local Democracy Reporter

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