AM RHODRI Glyn Thomas has challenged Llanelli MP Nia Griffith to convince her own Labour party colleagues to reconsider Carmarthenshire County Council's controversial proposed hikes in sports fees.

Ms Griffith attacked the proposals last week, claiming they looked like: "they have just been generated and spat out of a computer", while maintaining there had been little consultation with sports clubs.

Commenting on the Labour MP's "Damascus-like U-turn", Mr Thomas said the onus was on Labour councillors to change their minds.

“Plaid Cymru welcomes the Damascus-like U-turn from Nia Griffith who has, in the last two weeks, been a strong critic of the way in which her Labour party colleagues are running the county council," he added.

“We welcome the position she is taking on the sports fee hikes, but she is doing the Carmarthenshire electorate a disservice by intentionally ignoring the fact that it is her party which is introducing these ridiculous charges.

“Nia Griffith’s sudden conversion to supporting the common sense argument against these crippling charges looks suspiciously like a way to try and mask the fact that Labour councillors last week approved millions of pounds worth of cuts to Carmarthenshire’s public services.

“She must remember that it was not the 74 councillors who took the decision to increase sports charges – it was the 10 members of the Council’s Executive Board which her Labour party controls.

“If Nia Griffith is genuinely concerned by the way in which the council is consulting and introducing outlandish charges which will decimate grass roots sports perhaps she can tell Carmarthenshire residents where she stands on Plaid Cymru’s motions of no confidence in the council leadership.

“Rather than shouting from the sidelines, Nia Grffith would do better to convince her own Labour party colleagues to not introduce their proposed charges."

Meanwhile, Mr Thomas and fellow Plaid AM Simon Thomas have tabled a statement of opinion in the National Assembly calling on the county council's Executive Board to rethink their proposals.