THE leader of Powys County Council could be ousted from power - as the council prepares to make cuts of £20 million to its spending.

Councillor David Jones must win a confidence vote in a specially arranged meeting of the full 73 member council at County Hall, Llandrindod Wells on Friday, January 10 to retain control of the council.

The political unrest comes as the council begins final preparations, including launching a community consultation, on its £20 million spending cuts programme, driven by the reduction in funding to councils from the Westminster and Welsh governments.

Areas including support for the elderly and disabled are all facing major cuts while councillors argue over who holds political power at County Hall.

The meeting, which will be asked to resolve that Cllr Jones is removed as council leader, has been called by former cabinet members, Cllr Graham Brown and Myfanwy Alexander.

Both were sacked from the cabinet, by Cllr Jones, at the end of November after opposing his plans to unite the council's two rival independent groups, which between them hold a majority on the council.

Cllr Jones had sought to press ahead with forming a coalition with the largest independent group, the Powys Independent Alliance (PIA), against the will of his Shires Independent Group (SIG).

The SIG had run the council as a minority administration since the 2012 local government elections but disintegrated among mass resignations following Cllr Jones' decision to sack a number of cabinet members so that he could bring in new portfolio holders from the PIA.

Cllr Jones has clung onto power by forming a new 10 member cabinet of PIA councillors. Its support in the council chamber will be tested in Friday's vote.

Should Cllr Jones lose the vote, the full council will have to elect a new leader, who will then be free to pick his or her own cabinet of no more than 10 councillors.

If the council must elect a new leader at Friday's meeting candidates will be allowed five minutes to make their speeches to the council.

Cllr Jones won the leadership of the council at a full council meeting in May 2012 by just one vote.

The PIA group currently has 25 members while the Independent Group, former by Cllr Brown, has 14 members with other independent councillors remaining unaligned to either group.

The Conservatives hold 10 seats on the council, the Liberal Democrats nine and Labour six. 37 votes are required for a majority when all councillors attend meetings.

For more on this story and a run down of cuts being considered by the council see this week's Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now