The position of leader of Pembrokeshire County Council is unlikely to be subject to annual elections, after a notice of motion submitted by Councillor Jacob Williams was defeated on Monday.

Cllr Williams proposed to amend the council's constitution so that the council leader would be elected every year at the authority's AGM. He also proposed that nominations for leader be submitted at the AGM without any requirement for notice in advance.

The council's acting head of legal services and the authority's monitoring officer both recommended that the notice not be adopted by the corporate governance committee.

They stated that there was already room within the council's constitution to replace the leader, either if the vacancy arose or if councillors at full council supported a notice of motion to remove the leader and nominated a replacement in that notice of motion.

Cllr Williams argued that the election of the leader should be added as a standard agenda item on every AGM agenda and that the present system did not allow for the direct replacement of the leader.

He said that the leader is not directly elected by the public and so the idea that he/she should remain leader for the term of the council was "grossly undemocratic".He argued that removal of the leader was only one possible outcome of an annual election.

His view was supported by Councillor Bob Kilmister who added:

"The removal of the leader is extremely unlikely. If the election of the leader was a standard item every year this would give the leader the confidence of his peers every year and get away from these divisive motions of no confidence."

Current council leader Jamie Adams said the proposal was "short termism" and that a year was not adequate time to form trusting relationships with the Welsh Government and inspectorates.

"If there is the opportunity to elect a leader for 12 months we will not deliver as an authority," he said. "I think this provides the worst outcome for the authority."

The proposal was defeated by seven votes to six.

The final decision will be made by full council in December.