CARMARTHENSHIRE county council’s blistering attack on the local MP and AM regarding the “calling-in” of the Sainsbury’s applications is nothing short of staggering.

For the local authority to accuse the county’s elected representatives of deliberately trying to “sabotage” a major investment is breathtaking – in fact, it is absolutely scandalous.

Irrespective of the tit-for-tat party political bun-fight that has resulted from the Labour and Independent Group-run county council statement and subsequent response from the two Plaid Cymru politicians, the authority, its officers and indeed its leader need to take a long hard look at themselves.

The county council, its staff and its elected councillors are paid – that’s right, paid – out of our back pockets for one purpose and one purpose alone – to promote Carmarthenshire and improve the lives of its residents. The same is true of our elected members at Westminster and Cardiff Bay.

If any one of those groups think – even for amoment– that the building of two giant supermarkets might be detrimental to the people and businesses of the county in the long term, then they have a duty, morally and legally, to ask the Assembly to have another look.

Jonathan Edwards and Rhodri Glyn Thomas have done exactly that.

They have not opposed the developments, merely asked the Welsh Governmentto givethemthe once-over.

For the local authority to throw its toys out of the pram in such an outlandish and tantrum-like fashion is quite simply a disgrace.