Councillors to leave cabinet one year after party comes into power

Two members of Monmouthshire council’s ruling cabinet look set to leave their posts a year after the party came to power in the county. 

The cabinet held its regular meeting on Wednesday evening, with the council’s annual general meeting, where cabinet appointments are confirmed due to be confirmed, to be held the following afternoon. 

At the end of Wednesday’s meeting council leader Mary Ann Brocklesby said the cabinet would say “goodbye” to councillors Catherine Fookes and Tudor Thomas. 

Cllr Fookes, who represents Monmouth’s Town ward, was last year selected as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for the Monmouthshire constituency, while Cllr Thomas, who represents Abergavenny’s Park ward, faced calls to resign earlier this year over the handling of the closure of a day centre. 

Cllr Brocklesby said: “We must say goodbye to Cllr Fookes and thanks for all the service she has given and also to Cllr Thomas, but we’ll deal with that more tomorrow.” 

Cllr Fookes has held the equalities and engagement portfolio on a job share basis with Cllr Angela Sandles while Cllr Thomas has been the member for social care and faced criticism over the proposed closure of the Tudor Street Day Centre in his ward.  

Opposition councillors called for him to resign in January when Cllr Brocklesby apologised for the way the council had handled the proposed closure of the centre for adults with learning disabilities.