TORFAEN council leader Bob Wellington survived a motion of no-confidence in his leadership today.

The motion, brought by Plaid Cymru group leader Jeff Rees, was called after Torfaen's education authority was put into special measures last month.

At today's full council meeting, Cllr Rees said "I do believe the leader is ultimately responsible for what has happened and that is why I am moving this motion."

Cllr Rees said he was particularly concerned by sections of the report from the schools' inspectorate Estyn where it criticised the council for not heeding recommendations made in their initial inspection of 2011 and that Torfaen was too reliant on Estyn to point out where changes needed to be made rather than the authority taking control.

But his motion was defeated on a vote by written ballot which descended into farce when many members wanted their opposition to the motion recorded.

It led at one point to the Mayor of Torfaen, Cllr Wayne Tomlinson warning "we stand to look like something from the Muppet Show," if members didn't stop arguing about how the vote would be taken.

The motion was defeated with 31 voting against, 4 for, with one abstention and three members, the three Conservative councillors present, declining to put anything on their papers at all.

Their leader Graham Smith explained: "I decline to participate in what people would see a little more than a soap opera and trying to score political points."

Many Labour members repeated the phrase "we are all in this together" when explaining why they voted against the motion.

The view of many was it had little to do with the leader and that the council must work together regardless of political persuasion to get Torfaen's education department out of special measures.

Council leader Bob Wellington slammed the attack.

In a robust defence of his leadership he detailed the boards Torfaen had set up following Estyn's initial inspection and said the Welsh Government and Estyn had been happy with the structure, describing his reaction when they were put into special measures as "staggered" and "gobsmacked."

He said: "Let's solve this problem and not play political games."