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Plaid Cymru in Conwy will run the council alongside the Conservatives after it emerged the new cabinet will be made up of a mix of the two parties.

Newly-elected leader Gareth Jones, who is a member of the nationalist party, will run the council following the May elections.

(Image: Robert Parry-Jones)

It has five Conservatives , including head of the Tory group Cheryl Carlisle who will be deputy leader, four members of Plaid Cymru and one Independent, Cllr Anne McCaffrey.

It was Councillor McCaffrey who nominated Cllr Jones to be leader on May 18, which was seconded by Tory Cllr Sam Rowlands.

In a secret ballot the 78-year-old beat former leader Goronwy Edwards - himself nominated by Plaid Cymru's Sue Lloyd-Williams - by just a single vote.

Cllr Edwards, part of the Conwy First Independent Group, is now the leader of the opposition in the council.

Cllr Jones says the cabinet decision now needs to be approved by Plaid Cymru's national executive.

In a statement the former Assembly Member said: "These proposed arrangements need to be supported by Plaid Cymru locally and I await approval from Plaid Cymru nationally.

"I have referred this statement and proposals to Plaid Cymru's National Executive Council and I await their decision."

Cllr Jones said the new cabinet "will not be driven by any political agenda" and added: "The new cabinet is an ongoing, open administration based on inclusiveness and transparency in that all council members and political groups were invited to express an interest in being considered for cabinet membership.

"Regrettably, some groups chose not to engage in this inclusive approach."

Plaid leader Leanne Wood has promised to "defend Wales against the Tory attacks" and has has previously ruled out working with the Tories in the assembly.

Conwy Council currently has 16 Conservatives, 14 members of the Conwy First Independent Group, 10 Plaid Cymru councillors, seven Independents, eight Labour councillors and four Liberal Democrats.

Cllr Goronwy Edwards claimed an agreement had been made before the local elections in May for Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Independent group to work together to form a cabinet but that it had backfired when half the Plaid Cymru councillors chose to vote for Cllr Jones in the leadership election.

He told the Daily Post: "I welcome that we finally have a decision and finally have a Cabinet but there's not a lot of experience and that does concern me.

"Some will go into these jobs cold, and won't be able to hit the ground running, but we are where we are.

"As a council we have to get on with the budget, we have already lost weeks of work."

Full cabinet for Conwy Council:

Leader: Cllr Gareth Jones (Plaid Cymru)

Finance and Resources: Cllr Sam Rowlands (Conservative)

Democracy, Law and Modernisation: Cllr Anne McCaffrey (Independent)

Environment Roads and Facilities: Cllr Don Milne (Conservative)

Community Development Services and Regulation: Cllr Mark Baker (Conservative)

Economy, Venue Cymru and Marketing and Events: Cllr Louise Emery (Conservative)

Adult and Community Services and Housing: Cllr Elizabeth Roberts (Plaid Cymru)

Children, Family and Safeguarding: Cllr Cheryl Carlisle (Conservative - also Deputy Leader)

Secondary education, skills and Employability: Cllr Garffild Lewis (Plaid Cymru)

Primary Education and Welsh Language Champion: Cllr Trystan Lewis (Plaid Cymru)

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