THE mayor of a town council in Gwent has called for the local monitoring officer to consider his position after an alleged breach of the council's constitutional.

Blackwood Town Council mayor Cllr George Edwards-Etheridge has claimed a breach of the council's constitution happened during a meeting of the Town and Community Council Liason Sub Committee on November, 20, 2023. 

He is now asking for monitoring officer Robert Tranter to consider his position after he felt the breach was dismissed. 

According to Cllr Edwards-Etheridge, a point of order was raised during the meeting in line with the constitution, which he says was "completely ignored and not listened to despite asking more than once". 

As written in the council's constitution, a point of order can be "raised at any time" by a member of the council. 

It is then policy for the order to be heard immediately, and it is noted that it may only "relate to an alleged breach" of council rules and that the member who raised the order must be able to illustrate "the way in which he/she considers it has been  broken" with the chairman's ruling considered final. 

Cllr Edwards-Etheridge explained: "The meeting continued, and after the meeting I emailed the Committee Services section who passed on my email to the monitoring officer for a response.

"I then received a response from the deputy monitoring officer and it basically dismissed me.

"I have watched the video back several times and there is a clear breach on the evening in question."

He then wrote back to Caerphilly Council's monitoring officer Robert Tranter and received a response earlier this month. 

Cllr Edwards-Etheridge believes the response from the monitoring officer to be "unacceptable" as he considers the role of the officer to "protect and uphold" the constitution "at all times". 

He added: "I would now ask Mr Tranter to consider his position as there has been a clear breach of the constitution and to safeguard elected members rights."

A Caerphilly Council spokesperson told the Argus: “This matter was brought to the attention of the council’s monitoring officer, who provided appropriate advice on the way a meeting should be conducted.

"The council has nothing further to add.”