South Wales Evening Post - 16 January 2007
A Power shift at Swansea Council has left the city's future on a knife edge.
New Tory leader Rene Kinzett has pulled his party from the ruling administration, cutting its number to just 30.
The Lib Dem-led group is still in control of the council, with Councillor Kinzett pledging to support leader Chris Holley in any vote of no confidence.
But he also warned that the re-formed Conservative group would go its own way on key issues such as eGovernment, the leisure centre project and the controversial bendy bus.
Councillor Kinzett, who was voted Conservative leader last week just six months after switching camps from the Lib Dems, said: "We are going to meet with the leader of the council to negotiate the matter of our support. We will consider individual issues on their merit."
Councillor Kinzett said he would be meeting Conservative leaders in communities across Swansea to canvass opinion on key issues.
He said: "Before the full council on January 25 we will speak with them. By then we will have had a steer from our grassroots on what they want us to do.
"Because there was no official group on the council, it was hard for the grassroots to know who to discuss things with.
"Now there is a group and a clear leadership structure, there is a clear link between the grassroots and the council.
"The Conservatives will have a group position on all the major issues."
The power shift means the Lib Dem and Independent administration no longer hold the most seats in the council.
Labour currently has 32, compared to the administration's 30, with the five-seat Conservatives' pledge of support in the face of a vote of no confidence effectively giving them a majority.
Plaid Cymru's four votes will continue to be a key factor in pushing through any proposals, but the Conservatives' new stance is likely to make it more difficult for the Lib Dem-led administration.
Councillor Kinzett said the Conservatives would focus on issues such as keeping council tax at a reasonable level. He said: "We want value for money and we want projects to be open and accountable."
