Welsh council shake-up vote is dropped

The proposed maps are similar to the pre-1996 pattern of county councils

The final vote on the bill paving the way for radical reform of local councils in Wales has been postponed.

AMs were due to vote on Tuesday on a bill which would allow mergers of the 22 local authorities.

A government spokeswoman said ministers wanted to allow more time for cross-party talks on the issue.

The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said the postponement of the vote cast further doubt on the re-organisation process.

Labour has exactly half the votes in the assembly, and needs at least one opposition member to back the plan, or abstain, for the bill to pass.

In June, Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews unveiled plans to cut the number of councils to eight or nine, similar to the pre-1996 map.

"We have decided not to move to Stage 4 [the final vote] today, as we want to allow more time for cross-party talks on the issue," the spokeswoman said.

"There are no immediate time pressures that require us to vote on the Bill this week.

"In taking forward all legislation during this assembly term we have tried, wherever possible, to work with other parties and accommodate other views.

"That is the case again here, and we look forward to bringing forward the Stage 4 motion in due course."

'Running scared'

Conservative AM Paul Davies said he was not surprised by the decision to postpone the vote.

"My understanding was that opposition parties were going to vote against the bill at Stage 4," he said.

"There clearly was no consultation and perhaps ministers should have done so before now."

Plaid Cymru AM Llyr Gruffydd told reporters he was "not aware of any approaches" from ministers seeking to do a deal.

Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black said: "This is the sign of a Labour Government that's running scared, afraid of being left red-faced by the loss of a vote.

"I can't help but think that if Labour's minister hadn't acted so arrogantly on this from the beginning, he wouldn't have been left with no-one willing to work with him."

WLGA chief executive Steve Thomas said the "whole credibility" of the council merger process was already in doubt.

"The longer it drags on you have got to ask the question about the financial benefits," he added.

Analysis by Vaughan Roderick, BBC Welsh Affairs editor

The decision to delay a vote on the Local Government Bill is a recognition that, barring a deal with opposition AMs, the Welsh government lacks the numbers in the chamber to ensure its passage.

Parliamentary procedure has allowed ministers to proceed to this stage by depending on the casting vote of the presiding officer on the numerous occasions when the votes have been tied in the assembly chamber.

A tied vote in the final stage of the legislative process would lead to the bill failing, as the rules in those circumstances would require the presiding officer to vote against the government.

Ministers will now be seeking the support of at least one of the opposition parties before proceeding - although there appears to be little appetite for a deal on the opposition benches.