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Pembrokeshire Herald

26-05-2025

HUW MURPHY, a member of the Independent Group on Pembrokeshire County Council, has confirmed to The Herald this week (May 25) that the Group has submitted a formal request to the Presiding Officer for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Council. The purpose of the meeting is to debate a motion of No Confidence in Councillor Paul Miller, specifically regarding his roles as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member.
The request, which received unanimous support during a recent meeting of the Independent Group, was formally submitted late on Friday afternoon (May 23) and acknowledged by the Council. It will be formally processed on Tuesday (May 27), the next working day. Under the Council's constitution, the Presiding Officer has five working days to respond. The Independent Group has expressed its expectation that the request will be accepted and a date set without delay.
Under fire: Cllr Paul Miller (Pic: Herald file)
The call for an EGM stems from a number of concerns, which will be fully outlined during the meeting. However, central to the motion is Councillor Miller's handling of matters related to the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) and his comments at a Cabinet meeting on April 28.
During that meeting, Councillor Miller remarked that, in his view, parents send their children to Ysgol Caer Elen for a 'good education' rather than specifically for a Welsh-language education. This statement, the Independent Group argues, conveys a perception of bias against Welsh-medium education.
Further controversy arose when Councillor Miller publicly criticised the Welsh Language Commissioner—an independent expert appointed by the First Minister—accusing her of making an 'extraordinary political intervention' after she raised concerns about the legality and implications of his proposal to collect additional data from parents choosing Welsh-medium education. The Commissioner's concerns were grounded in the Welsh Government's Schools Admission Code, which the Commissioner argued would be breached by the proposal.
Rather than addressing these concerns or withdrawing the amendment, Councillor Miller accused others of generating negative publicity and failed to accept any personal responsibility. At the Schools Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on May 14, the issue was further examined, yet Councillor Miller did not retract his original stance. Instead, he revised his amendment at Cabinet on May 21 to apply to both Welsh and English language education—a move viewed by the Independent Group as an attempt to save face without acknowledging fault.
Despite widespread concern from the Welsh Language Commissioner, senior council officers, the Welsh Government, and committee members, Councillor Miller has neither apologised nor shown any willingness to reflect on his actions. The Cabinet's decision to adopt his revised amendment, with only six of nine members present at a remote meeting, was also a cause for concern.
The Independent Group believes that public trust in elected representatives depends on their ability to recognise mistakes, show humility, and respect expert advice. Councillor Miller's refusal to do so—despite being an experienced politician—has led to this motion of No Confidence.