Mystery as Conservative councillor leaves Wrexham Council Executive Board

Erddig councillor Paul Roberts is no longer the Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, having either been removed or resigned from the Executive Board.

The move from the £35,640 pa role back down to a ‘normal’ £17,600 pa councillor has been done quietly, with no statements or explanations.

The council’s executive board is made of up 10 members of the ruling administration – which locally is a coalition between the Independents and Conservatives. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​ Of those two groups seven members of the Independents – the largest group on Wrexham Council – and up until this change – three Conservative members were portfolio holders on the executive board. ‌Cllr Roberts is a member of the Conservative​ ‌group, and held one of their three seats on the Executive.‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​

The council’s constitution states that Executive Board members are appointed until they cease to be a councillor, resign, are suspended, or removed by the Leader of the Council.

Cllr Roberts is still a councillor and has not been suspended, so has either resigned from the Executive Board or has been removed by the Leader of the Council.

We asked Cllrs Mark Pritchard, as Chair of the Executive Board, about any change – however he said he was not going to comment.

Cllr Paul Roberts declined to comment.

Conservative Group Leader Cllr Hugh Jones did not reply to our enquiry.

Wrexham.com was told by other sources that the move came about following an ‘eventful’ Conservative Group meeting.

The Executive Board is made up of the Council Leader plus at least two , and at most, nine other councillors – who are appointed by Full Council. It is unclear if this reduction by one member, often called for due to budget pressures, is permanent or if a new councillor will be appointed at the December Full Council meeting.

In the meantime the work previously taken up Cllr Roberts could be allocated to another Executive Board member, with the portfolios in the gift of the Council Leader.

Sudden changes to the Executive Board are not unusual in Wrexham although in contrast to the current move all had explanations, in 2019 Cllr Bill Baldwin stepped down pending the – still unknown – outcome of an investigation, with then Cllr Joan Lowe taking up his position. Cllr Lowe then resigned in 2021 citing poor health, days after claims “inappropriate language” was used in private meeting. Also in 2021 then Cllr Andy Atkinson resigned after a ‘working holiday’ in Panama became a permanent move.

The current ‘cabinet’ style system of the board has been in place since May 2015 when a fiery (and at times farcical) meeting in May 2015 saw 30 councillors vote to remove the political balance from the board and increasing the number of lead members from seven to ten. Previously there was an element of political balance on the Executive Board, with seven councillors from the majority party holding portfolios and three opposition councillors who were able to take part in the vote. ‌

The Executive Board now reads:

Councillor Mark Pritchard (Chair)
Councillor David A Bithell (Vice-Chair)
Councillor Terry Evans
Councillor Hugh Jones
Councillor Beverley Parry-Jones
Councillor John Pritchard
Councillor Robert Walsh
Councillor Nigel Williams
Councillor Phil Wynn

(Top pic: No official announcement, but the councillor pages on Wrexham.gov.uk have been updated with the change.)