Now the Deputy Leader calls it a day

Leader of the Independent Group and Deputy Leader of Powys County Council, Councillor Graham Brown has announced that he will not be seeking re-election to the council and will stand down at the election.

Councillor Brown (pictured), who is the Cabinet member for Commissioning and Procurement, has been a councillor for 30 years representing the Llandrinio Ward on Powys County Council and before than Montgomeryshire District Council.

It comes a couple of days after the Leader of the Council, Barry Thomas, also decided to call it a day.

“After 30 years as a district and county councillor I have decided to step down and not seek re-election to the county council. It has been an honour to represent Llandrinio on the council and I am grateful for the support I have received from my community,” he said.

Councillor Brown joined Montgomeryshire District Council in 1987 and held a number of senior roles including being Chairman of the Environmental Health and Housing Committee before the council was replaced by Powys County Council in 1996.

As a member of the county council he has chaired the scrutiny committee, chaired the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Committee, as well as being a member of the council’s Board and a long-standing member of the cabinet.

He has been Leader of the Independent Group since 2013 and was appointed Deputy Leader of the Council in 2014.

Nationally, he is an accredited Peer and Mentor for the Local Government Association’s Independent Group where he holds the position of Regional Lead Peer covering the North West of England, West Midlands and Wales.