Telford leader’s ‘send you to Llandudno’ joke brings the pre-Christmas house down

A council leader’s pre-Christmas joke about finding the money to send his opposite number permanently to Llandudno brought the house down at a meeting this week.

Councillors were discussing making a commitment to their £5,000-each Pride Fund which has been used to support community projects when Telford & Wrekin Council’s leader and opposition chief entered a light-hearted tangle.

Conservative opposition leader Andrew Eade said he was ‘really supportive’ of the scheme under which the 54 Telford & Wrekin councillors last year spent a total of £270,000 in supporting 355 community-led projects across the borough.

Councillor Eade said he would have “no problems” with increasing the Pride funding to £10,000 per member.

“Let’s push the boat out and go for £10,000 and make a difference in the community,” he said.

Pride funding has helped town and parish councils organise coach trips to the seaside for residents, including to Llandudno.

Councillor Eade added that he “wished someone would pay for me to have a trip to Llandudno”.

Labour leader Lee Carter (Labour, Arleston and College) couldn’t resist the open goal handed to him by his fellow AFC Telford United-supporting opposite number.

“I am sure we might be able to raise the funds to send you to a permanent place in Llandudno if you wish to, Councillor Eade,” he said.

He added “all joking aside” that the council was not going to give a commitment “at this stage” to increasing the pride funding pot. The council is waiting to see how much it will get from the Government before finalising its budget plans for 2026-27.

Councillors lined up to praise the Councillors’ Pride Fund which has distributed more than £2.2 million since 2011. It also attracted £145,221 in match funding in 2024/25 alone.

Liberal Democrats group leader Bill Tomlinson (Shawbirch and Dothill) added that he was “fully supportive of the scheme”.

But he added as residents were in a cost of living crisis, keeping the council tax and not putting up the council take “might be more of a priority”.

He also thanked council officers for giving up their time to listen to councillors “chuntering on”.

Councillor Carter rounded off the meeting by saying that he will be attending a pensioners’ party where he claimed that funding has “improved the standard of custard and gravy”.

And with custard, gravy and the season of goodwill in mind he wished councillors a “Merry Christmas and a happy new year”.