sentences:  In November 2014 the council voted to propose a merger with the neighbouring Vale of Glamorgan Council, though this was rejected by the Welsh Government's Public Services Minister, Leighton Andrews, as not meeting the criteria to be able to proceed.The council elections on 5 May 2017 saw Labour lose its majority control of the council with, for example, three of the four Brackla seats being taken by the Conservatives from Labour.Keith Edwards and Ross Thomas, who'd been deselected by Labour for voting against the proposed local authority merger, won as Independents in Maesteg.