Mayor George Etheridge of Blackwood is stirring up conversation after claiming a “totally undemocratic” move blocked his appointment to Caerphilly County Borough Council’s standards committee. Etheridge, who was nominated back in March 2025, has faced two postponements. In November, his appointment was deferred following a complaint about an alleged code of conduct breach. Then, at the latest council meeting on January 13, accusations of a flawed selection process caused another delay.
Etheridge calls these setbacks a “personal attack” and blames senior officers, asserting they acted without just cause. Caerphilly Council, however, denies wrongdoing, stating the deferrals were to avoid potential embarrassment and ensure fairness.
The claimed root of the hold-up? A screenshot from a 2021 Facebook post. While Etheridge hasn’t disclosed the post’s content, he insists he was sidelined after the November meeting. The council maintains it was elected members, not officers, who decided on the deferral.
Plaid Cymru Councillor Teresa Parry suggested postponing the January appointment due to flaws in the selection process. Almost all council members supported a call to redo the process with transparency and diligence. Etheridge slammed the proceedings as “shambolic,” insisting there’s now a rift between local councils and Caerphilly County Borough.
In response, the council plans to reach out to the community council liaison committee to restart the nomination process. All eyes are on whether democracy wins this tug of war in Blackwood!