Council leader 'will not take diversity training'
Speaking on BBC Politics North, Reform UK's Sean Matthews also said he was not interested in climate change and that his priorities were to save money and "cut out the waste".
Earlier in the week, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted on social media that all people should be treated equally and any UK Reform councillor instructed to take part in diversity or climate change training would "do no such thing".
The Green Party's Natalie Bennett said diversity training was a good use of taxpayers' money and said "to be that dismissive is really, deeply disturbing".
Matthews was announced as the county council's new leader on Thursday after Reform took control from the Conservative Party in the elections on 1 May.
"I've not been asked to do any diversity training, which is a good start," he said.
"I think that the staff here may have an inkling as to what sort of response they would get from me. So that's not happening, as far as I'm concerned, unless it's hidden in the undergrowth somewhere.
"And as far as climate change is concerned.. I'm not interested."
Echoing comments made last week by the county's new mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns, he said that diversity officers are called "different things" and said "we've got to get a grip of that".
Presenter Tim Iredale asked Bennett if she thought diversity training was a good use of taxpayers' money.
She said: "Absolutely, because I think that we have long-term historical prejudices, long-term historical discrimination.
"Fixing that is not just the right thing to do morally, it's the thing that ensures that we have the best possible council services, that we are able to engage everyone in our community and that the council services meet the needs of everybody in that community.
"We surely should want to ensure that everyone in our community can flourish, can have the best opportunities to participate and to be that dismissive is really, deeply disturbing."
Now the opposition on the council, the Conservative group leader, councillor Richard Davies, said: "Lincolnshire County Council is a well run, prudently financially managed authority, delivering really important services.
"This is not a political football to be kicked around.
"[Reform UK have] made a lot of commitments around borrowing, about council tax, about improving services, that we will hold them to account to deliver."
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Jenkyns: fracking would save money for taxpayers
Reform UK picks ex-police officer to lead council
Tory group leader steps down after 20 years
Lincolnshire County Council
Politics North (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
40 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Visiting London? You Should Pay a Tourist Tax
Taxes have always been as inevitable as death. In Rachel Reeves' Britain, it's looking like tax increases are now as unavoidable as the grim reaper. The chancellor must find billions of pounds to fill a black hole in the public finances before the autumn budget. So far, she has proven unable to cut public spending thanks to a series of rebellions by Labour MPs. And Keir Starmer's 'defining mission' of making the sums add up by turbocharging growth has also been stymied, partly by Reeves' move to hike national insurance for employers in her last budget. GDP figures out Thursday are expected to show an anemic 0.1% increase for the second quarter of 2025. That leaves taxes and, having ruled out increasing the burden on 'working people,' Reeves and her team are spending the summer eying other sources of cash. One idea being pushed by some in Westminster is a tourist tax. It's worth taking seriously, both for the potential to raise some much-needed revenue and as a driver of growth.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas cities, counties may face new limits on raising property taxes
DALLAS (Texas Tribune) — Texas Republicans want to make it harder for cities and counties to raise property taxes — a move that would put local governments in a tighter financial bind as the state grows. Lawmakers on a key Texas Senate panel Friday advanced a proposal to put a tighter limit on how much more cities and counties can collect in property taxes each year without asking voters. The idea is to keep tax bills from exploding by forcing local governments to lower their tax rates if property values rise. 'The taxpayers are being pushed to the brink,' state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who authored the proposal, said during a committee meeting. Cities and counties could face further financial pressure as they try to provide basic services to residents and keep up with growth, local officials told state lawmakers Friday. The legislation is the latest effort by GOP lawmakers to rein in the state's high property taxes. This year, legislators committed $51 billion over the next two years to enact a new round of cuts to school property taxes and maintain existing ones. Some Republican lawmakers, as well as conservative activists and policy analysts, have shown frustration as they've plugged billions of dollars into cutting school property tax bills only to see taxes from cities and counties outstrip those gains. Gov. Greg Abbott called on lawmakers to pass bills 'reducing the property tax burden on Texans' and 'imposing spending limits on entities authorized to impose property taxes' during a 30-day legislative sprint. Such limits would arrive at a tricky time for cities and counties, already facing financial headwinds. Localities have seen their budgets squeezed in recent years under the state's existing limits on property tax revenue. Further complicating their finances: weakening sales tax revenue owed to a slowing economy and uncertainty over future federal funding. Meanwhile, cities and counties face a litany of rising costs, including salaries for police officers and firefighters. Major cities like Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth project budget deficits in upcoming years — with local leaders eying spending cuts, voter-approved tax hikes or some combination of both to make up for the shortfall. A tighter property tax cap would make it harder for Fort Worth, now home to more than 1 million people, to keep up with infrastructure needs brought on by the city's robust population growth, Brady Kirk, a Fort Worth budget official, told lawmakers Friday. Such a cap 'could force even deeper cuts, which, instead of maximizing value for residents, would lead to lower service levels.' Under pressure to rein in rising property tax bills, state lawmakers in 2019 enacted a law that limits how much more in property taxes cities and counties can collect each year without voter approval to 3.5%. Tax-cut proponents credit that law with keeping the growth of property tax bills in check. Though tax bills grew, they grew at a slower pace than they otherwise would have, thanks to lower city and county tax rates, they argue. The owner of a typical home in Dallas, for example, saw the taxes they pay to Dallas Independent School District shrink by about $310 between 2018 and 2024, according to a Texas Tribune calculation. But they paid almost $1,200 more to the city, county and other taxing entities in 2024 than in 2018. Though tax rates fell, they didn't fall enough to offset increases in the owner's home value. The total amount of property taxes collected statewide by cities and counties has remained relatively steady despite that change, figures presented by Bettencourt show. That's at least in part because voters have signed off on higher tax rate increases at the ballot box, according to an analysis by the business-backed Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. Senate Bill 9, by Bettencourt, would further tighten that cap to 2.5%, a provision that would only apply to localities with more than 75,000 residents. Cities like San Antonio, Arlington, El Paso and Corpus Christi would each have collected tens of millions of dollars less in property taxes from 2021 to 2024 had that measure been in place, according to Bettencourt's estimate. Dallas would have lost more than $100 million in that span. 'We're asking you to tighten your belts,' Bettencourt said. Lowering that limit would give voters a more direct say when cities and counties adopt tax rates, said Jennifer Rabb, who heads the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. 'I think that's a step in the right direction.' If localities need more money than what's automatically allowed, they can ask the voters, the bill's proponents said. Enacting that tighter cap could complicate localities' public safety efforts, others noted. State Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat, noted that Dallas voters last year adopted a measure compelling the city to hire hundreds more police officers, which could prove difficult if they have to do so with greater revenue constraints. City and county officials asked lawmakers to consider some kind of carveout for spending on police protection and firefighting, which tend to make up the majority of a given locality's budget, an idea Bettencourt appeared open to. As Texans deal with the high cost of living, cutting property taxes may not be the best way to help them, state Sen. Molly Cook, a Houston Democrat, said. 'If you're driving down the road and the road's busted up and you pop a tire, well, that's because the government didn't spend money on roads, and now you're spending money on tires,' Cook said. 'So how does this whole picture fit together to really address affordability?' This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Locals in the Cotswolds protest JD Vance's visit
Locals in the Cotswolds protest JD Vance's visit US Vice President JD Vance arrived at Royal Airforce Base Fairford in the United Kingdom, where he met US troops and was welcomed by applause - a noticeable shift from locals protesting in the villages of Charlbury and Dean, where Vance stayed during his trip. 01:07 - Source: CNN Anderson gives his take on Trump admin's call to vet Smithsonian museums CNN's Anderson Cooper explores what the Trump administration's declaration that it intends to take control over the Smithsonian museums says about how President Trump views history. 04:15 - Source: CNN 'Deeply dangerous': Wes Moore reacts to National Guard deployed in DC Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper about the potential deployment of federal troops in Baltimore after President Donald Trump said he is placing Washington, DC's, police department 'under direct federal control' and deploying National Guard troops to the nation's capital. 01:57 - Source: CNN Trump will meet Putin one-on-one as a 'listening exercise' President Donald Trump plans to meet one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of their summit on Friday in Alaska. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the summit as a "listening exercise." 00:38 - Source: CNN Mayors across US react to Trump's warnings of federal intervention Democratic mayors across the US react to President Donald Trump placing DC police 'under direct federal control' and deploying the National Guard to crack down on crime. 01:10 - Source: CNN Baltimore's mayor responds to Trump's claims about his city Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) responded to President Donald Trump's criticism about violence in his city by highlighting historic drops in violent crime. President Trump warned other major cities about federal intervention after he placed the Washington, DC, police department under federal control and deployed the National Guard. 01:05 - Source: CNN Texas governor threatens Democrats over redistricting battle GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responds to leaders of Democratic-led states who have threatened to create Democratic-friendly seats in the US House in response to the Texas GOP's redistricting plans. 01:17 - Source: CNN What is the DC Home Rule Act? President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is placing the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying the National Guard to the city, saying the move is aimed at restoring order in the nation's capital. 01:32 - Source: CNN Trump warns other US cities after deploying National Guard to DC President Trump warned other US cities after announcing he is placing the Washington, DC, police department under direct federal control and deploying National Guard troops to the nation's capital. 00:46 - Source: CNN Bernie Sanders brings 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour to red state CNN's Dana Bash sits down with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to discuss the latest leg of his 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour in West Virginia. 00:58 - Source: CNN Trump announces Pam Bondi now in charge of DC police President Trump announced that Attorney General, Pam Bondi will be overseeing the federal takeover of DC's police force. 00:24 - Source: CNN Inside the growing influence of a Christian nationalist pastor in the new Trump administration Douglas Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist pastor, advocates for the idea that America should adopt a Christian theocracy and adhere to a biblical interpretation of society. On the fringes of the religious right for decades, Wilson has found an increasingly mainstream Republican audience under President Donald Trump. CNN's Pamela Brown reports from Moscow, Idaho where Wilson's Christ Church movement is based. 02:59 - Source: CNN Trump says he'll meet Putin in Alaska. Here are the key issues to watch out for President Donald Trump said he'll be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska after earlier in the day previewing terms of a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine that could include 'some swapping of territories.' CNN's Kaitlan Collins points out the key issues to watch out for. 01:17 - Source: CNN Trump says there will be 'swapping' of territories in Ukraine President Donald Trump was asked about the potential for a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia, saying that he thinks there will be some "swapping" of territories. 01:07 - Source: CNN Christian nationalist pastor says 'women are the kind of people that people come out of' Douglas Wilson is a self-described Christian nationalist pastor who believes in a patriarchal society where women are expected to submit to their husbands. CNN's Pamela Brown reports from Moscow, Idaho where Wilson's Christ Church movement is based. 02:51 - Source: CNN What could a Trump-Putin meeting look like? President Trump has signaled that he is open to meeting Russian President Putin as soon as next week, but US officials have signaled that no details have been finalised. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh breaks down what the meeting could look like. 01:15 - Source: CNN Trump's military threats on US soil are getting more real President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of dispatching the US military on American soil and has recently taken some steps towards it in his second term. CNN's Aaron Blake explains. 01:37 - Source: CNN Kaitlan Collins presses Trump on potential Putin meeting President Donald Trump said he would not condition a potential sit-down with Vladimir Putin on the Russian president also meeting with Ukraine's leader. CNN's Kaitlan Collins explains the significance of his change in tune. 00:49 - Source: CNN Trump to Intel CEO: Resign President Donald Trump demanded the resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan following reports and allegations that he has ties to China. Intel and Tan did not immediately respond to CNN's requests for comment. 00:38 - Source: CNN New US tariffs are now in place A new wave of tariffs on exports to the US have come into effect. CNN's Marc Stewart explains the latest and what they mean for US consumers. 01:39 - Source: CNN 'South Park' mocks Kristi Noem in new episode 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue their satirical takedown of the Trump administration with the newest episode taking aim at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. CNN's Victor Blackwell and Sara Fischer discuss the latest episode. 01:24 - Source: CNN Apple CEO gifts Trump plaque with 24K gold base Apple CEO Tim Cook gifted President Donald Trump a plaque made of glass manufactured in Corning's Harrodsburg, Kentucky, which he announced would be the cover glass on all iPhones and Apple Watches soon. 01:01 - Source: CNN Nicaraguan migrant escapes ICE, barricades himself at home Fontana resident Robert Reyes, his three children, his wife and mother-in-law have remained inside their apartment after security cameras captured the moment Reyes sprinted through his apartment door just moments before a California Border Patrol agent could apprehend him. CNN is trying to verify the status of the case with authorities in California. 02:17 - Source: CNN NYT obtains previously undisclosed images of Epstein's home The New York Times has obtained previously undisclosed images and descriptions of the interior of Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. 01:47 - Source: CNN
