Dear editor

As members of the opposition on Pembrokeshire County Council, we wish to totally dissociate ourselves from the decision to award a large pay rise to the chief executive.

The people of Pembrokeshire should understand that this decision was taken by the six member senior staff committee.

This committee is dominated by the leader, Councillor John Davies, and three of his cabinet colleagues, Cllrs David Wildman, Mike Evans and John Allen Mirehouse, which has plenary powers.

Last December an opposition motion to council, which would have required this committee's decisions on senior staff pay to be endorsed by full council was defeated by the 38 strong block of Cllr Davies' Independent Political Group.

This means that 54 of the 60 members of the council have no say whatsoever in these matters.

We also deplore the fact that, despite pleas for openness and transparency by the two opposition members (Cllrs Joyce Watson and Bill Philpin), those four Independent Party members forced through a resolution to hold the meeting behind closed doors.

Cllrs Michael Williams, John Allen, Carol Cavill, Rhys Sinnett, Rod Bowen, Bill Philpin, Tony Brinsden, Moira Lewis, Mike Stoddart.