UNFORTUNATELY the Parry- Jones pay saga has been a shambles from which no one can be proud.

As I recall the matter originally revolved around an investigation by the Wales Audit Office which ruled that Pembrokeshire County Council had acted unlawfully by letting Mr Parry-Jones opt out of a pension scheme and receive cash payments instead, thereby avoiding potential tax payments. A subsequent investigation by Gloucestershire Constabulary then found no evidence to suggest any criminal offences.

We have since been told by some quarters that the position of the former chief executive had become untenable as a result of his behaviour and performance in office, leading to the bizarre situation of our councillors having a vote of no confidence in a member of staff.

On one hand we had members of the public, councillors and public sector workers from Pembrokeshire and beyond protesting outside County Hall to “get Bryn out”, but I am also aware of PCC staff who are appalled by the way the issue has been dealt with and how Mr Parry- Jones has been treated.

The real issue as far as I can see is the nature of governance at County Hall and the historic weakness of (mainly independent) councillors to step up and demonstrate leadership, which they are elected to do.

To make this about attacking the chief executive, be it to raise your profile before a General Election, or to use as a distraction, misses the point and doesn’t actually address the underlying problem in local Pembrokeshire politics.

PCC does get a number of things right, we have one of the lowest council tax rates in Wales, it has worked with local businesses to develop the Pembrokeshire brand, and has succeeded in improving education standards over the past year.

If a member of staff has been accused of doing wrong, then that member of staff should undergo a disciplinary process, at the conclusion of which he or she will be vindicated or condemned.

This process should have occurred long before his and the PCC reputation had been tarnished.

It is what Mr Parry-Jones, PCC staff and the residents of Pembrokeshire all deserved.

Members from both the Labour and Conservative groups along with members from the ruling IPG were involved in the specific decision to make the supplementary payments, but so long as we all learn and move on then that’s fine.

Perhaps it would have been better if the severance package had been discussed in public and that the back payments of the pension supplements the Audit Office had already said were unlawful weren’t included in the final severance figure.

JAMES THICKITT

Fishguard