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A Swansea cabinet member has been rumbled trying to orchestrate questions from the public at a council meeting tomorrow.

In an email seen by the Evening Post, councillor Mark Child encourages Labour Party supporters to pitch up and ask certain questions — and then outlines answers which paint his party in a good light and his Conservative opponents in a bad one.

Swansea Conservative group leader Lyndon Jones described the email as worrying, disappointing and undermining the whole point of public questions.

Swansea Labour said every party did it, and that the Tories’ “fake outrage” was just a diversionary tactic.

But the city’s Liberal Democrat leader, councillor Chris Holley, said: “This is absolutely pathetic.”

The email by West Cross ward member Mr Child, who is cabinet member for health and wellbeing, sets out the written answers to councillors’ questions which form part of Thursday’s full council agenda.

As always, there is a 10-minute slot for members of the public to quiz councillors on any of the agenda items.

Mr Child, referring to a cabinet member answer about a children’s play area in Mumbles’ Underhill Park, tells recipients: “Could someone ask, ‘Could the cabinet member inform me if a similar situation exists for playgrounds in the neighbouring ward of West Cross?’

“At which point we could say that we have used our money to renew all our parks, what have the Conservatives been doing in Oystermouth? Clearly they haven’t prioritised this.”

Further down the email, Mr Child refers to an answer from the Labour administration about a proposed cycle route from Murton to Mayals, and says: “Could someone ask whose idea this was, so we can reply, ‘This was in Labour’s proposals for Bishopston, they are just trying to jump on the bandwagon. At least if it was built the Labour candidate could use it, unlike the current Tory councillor for Bishopston’.”

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Mr Jones has complained about Mr Child’s email to the council’s presiding member, councillor Des Thomas.

“This is very worrying and quite upsetting,” said Mr Jones. “Surely, the 10-minute slot is for members of the public to ask the leader and cabinet about anything that is on the agenda and not for planted questions by the Labour Party.”

Mr Jones also wondered if attempts had often been made to influence public questions.

He told the Evening Post: “Is this the first time it’s happened, or something that goes on or has been going on for a long time?”

Mr Child said in response: "I am surprised at the Conservative politicians' reaction to my encouragement of public questions at a council meeting.

"As a cabinet member I am unable to ask questions, but I think it is legitimate if a member of the public asks about the difference in approach to a subject from one ward to the next."

Lib-Dem Mr Holley said: “This is absolutely pathetic. If the cabinet has to resort to this it just goes to show how insecure the Labour Party is.”

He claimed it would be inaccurate to say every party tried to plant questions, although he conceded that the Lib-Dems had done it “occasionally” in the past.

“I think it devalues the (Labour) cabinet,” said Mr Holley.

The matter was raised in the Senedd today by shadow local Government secretary Janet Finch-Saunders.

She said: “This is 21st Century Wales – not the Soviet Union, and it is shocking to see cabinet members openly recruiting stooge questions from party activists.”

Mr Thomas, the presiding officer in Swansea, said council meetings were “90% business and 10% theatre” and that politics played an important part.

He said the question from Newton’s Conservative councillor Will Thomas asking for money to upgrade the play area in Mumbles “was bound to attract criticism and comment”.

The presiding officer added: “As for the matter of inviting other party members to ask relevant questions, this has been used by all parties over a considerable period of time and again it would be naive to think otherwise.”

A Swansea Labour spokesman added: “This fake outrage shown by the Tories is merely a tactic aimed at diverting attention from the fact that Will Thomas had failed to spend some of his £50,000 community budget on his community priorities. In West Cross, Labour councillor Des Thomas and councillor Mark Child have done just that.”