Election Winners Denied Governing Role

Despite Plaid Cymru winning the County Council in Ceredigion elections with 19 seats against 12 for the Independents and 10 for the Lib Dems, the latter two have, once again, formed a coalition to deny the winners the opportunity to govern the County.

The decision was taken this morning at a meeting of the full Council in which the existing Council leader, Keith Evans, was voted back in by 23 votes to 19 against Plaid Cymru's Ellen ap Gwynn. Labour's lone councillor, Hag Harris, also joined the coalition, giving them a majority of four.

The coalition's previous majority was a much more comfortable 26 - 16. The next four years is likely to be tougher for the ruling group with the prospect of losing controversial votes unless all their members are present.