South Wales Evening Post - 25 January 2006
Another political storm is brewing at Swansea Council over a globe-stretching freebie trip. An investigation has been demanded after claims of a cover-up following a trip to China in October worth thousands of pounds.
Labour councillors are calling for action after Councillor John Newbury, the cabinet member for finance, travelled to Nantong, China, for the World Mega City Development conference.
A Swansea Council spokesman confirmed Mr Newbury attended the conference but said that the trip had been paid for by the Nantong Government.
But Labour claim Mr Newbury should have entered the trip on the hospitality register councillors use to keep track of their interests. It is understood gifts from the trip have been logged.
The row follows a question to council in December which asked about economic links between Swansea and China.
The response confirmed a delegation had travelled to China in September but made no reference to Mr Newbury's visit.
A spokesman for the Lib Dem, Independent and Conservative coalition said the trip was political and not economic and therefore not covered by the terms of the question.
He confirmed that Mr Newbury had entered the gifts he received in the hospitality register and that the trip itself was part of official business.
He said: "He was invited as a senior councillor to go on this trip to represent the council."
But a Labour group spokesman dismissed the claim the trip was political.
He said Labour found it hard to conceive that the government of Nantong would invite the cabinet member for finance and pay for a 12,000 mile round trip for no reason.
Labour councillors are now calling for an investigation into the reasons for the trip and why it has not been entered in the hospitality register.
A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "The cabinet member for finance has attended a conference in Nantong at the invitation of the Nantong Government.
"All fares and expenses were paid for by the Nantong government."
