Senior council leader ‘confident' of more spending review support for the poor
Rachel Reeves announced that nine million pensioners in England and Wales will receive the winter fuel payment this winter, in a £1.25 billion U-turn on the Government's previous position.
Speaking exclusively to the PA news agency, Sir Stephen welcomed the move and other recent measures such as the extension of free school meals.
Sir Stephen Houghton is leader of Barnsley Council (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
But he said a broader package of initiatives aimed at supporting low income working families is now necessary and would represent an 'important political statement'.
In a statement released by the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (Sigoma) in response to the announcement on winter fuel payments, Sir Stephen said: 'I am confident that the Chancellor will continue in this spirit and use the upcoming spending review to provide further financial support to councils who are working hard to deliver for residents in challenging times.'
When asked to explain why he is confident at a time when revenue spending will be limited by factors such as slow growth and high borrowing costs, he said: 'Speaking to ministers (in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government) and speaking to advisers in the department.
'I have spent 14 years lobbying for this unsuccessfully with the previous government.
'I am confident because (local government minister) Jim McMahon is a former council leader, and he gets it.
'We have got to make sure that he doesn't get overruled by the Chancellor and the Prime Minister who are getting pressure from other parts of the country.
'I think he will hold his nerve.'
Sir Stephen identified reducing transport and social rent costs as measures which would benefit the community in Barnsley and elsewhere, adding they should be part of a 'comprehensive' support package.
'That will do the Government good, both politically and by helping the people that need it the most,' he added.
On capital investment, Sir Stephen warned of a 'real danger' that the Treasury will prioritise infrastructure spending on big cities to secure a 'maximum return'.
'Civil servants are telling ministers that the problem with that is it provides the least political return because these cities are already voting Labour,' he said.
Advocating an alternative approach, Sir Stephen added: 'Left behind communities deserve to have economies that function effectively, and you can get growth there as well if you invest.
'These are the places that have been leaving Labour.
'Why can't you have a decent quality of life if you live in Bolton, Bury, Blyth or Grimsby?
'Those communities are the ones that, for 30-odd years, have seen the big cities be the be-all and end-all.
'That leaves you with Brexit.
'It leaves you with, from a Labour perspective, Boris Johnson majorities in red wall seats. It leaves you with riots last year.
'It leaves you with Reform (gains in the local elections) just a month ago.'
'We need a short-term package of measures to say 'we are bothered' – life is hard,' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
Chris Mason: Spending Review a gamble on patience in an era of impatience
The hours, days, weeks and even months after a Spending Review can feel like peeling away the layers of an there is the speech from the chancellor in the Commons: the political rhetoric and the numbers often designed to sound big but which are often there are accompanying documents - in this instance in particular a blue-covered, 128-page tome crammed with words, numbers and work of months, much of it conducted privately with intermittent blasts of authorised and unauthorised briefing, talking up and grumbling, then suddenly bursts out in public demanding digestion. But that takes time. And as the detail is pored over, elements that were not put up in lights by the chancellor become clearer.A good example is the expectation many, many people in England and Wales will be paying higher council tax to help fund the police - something not set out explicitly by Rachel Reeves at the dispatch details on what is planned are expected in the coming weeks - with the government's infrastructure plans due to be set out other elements could take much longer to play out: for example, an obscure budget in a particular department that was culled, only for an outcry in six months time. Or, conversely, a budget that hasn't been culled but is later determined to be a waste of money. Seven ways the Spending Review affects youWinners and losers: Who got what in the review?What has the chancellor has announced? The key pointsWatch: Where the money is being spent The government is seeking to badge this moment as a turning prime minister told the Cabinet and has now written in the Guardian that "this week we bettered a new stage in the mission for national renewal. Last autumn we fixed the foundations. Today we showed Britain we will rebuild."Let's curiosity here is the standard critique of political leaders is turned on its head with much of this Spending often the grumble is one of short-termism, the quick win, the lack of strategic long term yet the gamble the government has taken is a willingness for patience in an era of term, so called capital spending, can - the argument goes - transform the public realm and in so doing transform economic it doesn't happen quickly and day-to-day spending is limited, even cut in this at a time of volatile politics and a restlessness among an electorate, many of whom feel squeezed and have done for years and Chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledged to me there was an impatience for change - the very thing Labour promised - and pointed to an expansion of entitlement to free school meals and breakfast clubs in England, for big bet though remains on economic growth - finding it and sustaining lack of it is the shackle on so much within government and beyond: the national mood, taxes, you name yes the prospect of more tax rises in the autumn will hang in the air all the big test of this Spending Review is the contribution it can make to delivering growth - and when.
Glasgow Times
17 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Minister to be referred to standards commissioner following Larne fire
Prior to the fire, Gordon Lyons posted on social media that the leisure centre had been used to accommodate several people following riotous behaviour in the town of Ballymena, which is 30 minutes away. Matthew O'Toole, the leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he would refer the minister to the commissioner. Mr Lyons said on Wednesday: 'As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP Council colleagues were made aware or consulted on this decision until late this afternoon.' He added: 'It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and Council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne. 'Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful.' Communities Minister Gordon Lyons (Liam McBurney/PA) A fire later broke out at the centre following vandalism at the facility on the third night of disorder in Northern Ireland. Masked individuals smashed windows at the leisure centre in Co Antrim on Wednesday and set fires outside which spread inside. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said the facility had been designated as an emergency rest centre for those in urgent need following disturbances in nearby Ballymena but the families had been safely relocated elsewhere. Police and firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control on Wednesday night. Mr Lyons condemned the damage inflicted on Larne Leisure Centre and said it only serves to hurt residents of the town. Emergency services at the scene (Liam McBurney/PA) He said: 'The violence and disorder witnessed on our streets over recent nights serves no purpose. Wanton destruction such as the attack on Larne Leisure Centre is an attack on all residents who use the facility. 'There is absolutely no excuse for what has taken place in Larne, and it must be condemned.' Mr O'Toole, an SDLP MLA, said: 'The actions of the Communities Minister cannot be ignored. 'He is the minister response for the Housing Executive and lives are at stake.' He said the opposition will refer Mr Lyons to the standards commissioner on Thursday and 'explore all other options for accountability'. Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole (Liam McBurney/PA) The fire coincided with a third night of public disorder in Ballymena. The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. Two teenage boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged. The DUP has been contacted for comment.
Glasgow Times
17 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Rate of women being hired into top jobs falls for third year running
The professional networking site revealed that women were hired into just more than a third – 36.8% – of leadership positions in the year to March 1, down 2.1% year-on-year. This has left the rate of female hires into senior roles back where it was in 2020, according to the figures. The data also showed that while more UK women are now in top management roles than they were in 2019 – at 30.9% last year versus 27.6% in 2019 – the progress has slowed significantly in the past two years, rising by just 0.3 percentage points. The figures suggest it becomes more difficult for older generations to reach senior management, with 19.4% of so-called baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – in these roles compared with 28.9% for gen X, 36.7% for millennials and 39.3% for gen Z. The statistics, compiled by analysing the group's 43 million-strong membership base across the UK, also show that, as of March, women made up 45.8% of hires in the UK, down 4.6% year-on-year. Globally, the figures paint a similar picture, revealing that less than a third of senior leadership roles are held by women (30.9%) despite making up almost half (43.2%) of the worldwide workforce. This 'drop to the top' is most pronounced in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) sector, where only around one in eight (12%) of leadership positions are held by women, according to LinkedIn. It is calling for the Government and businesses to promote hiring based on skills rather than qualifications to help ensure women do not get left behind, in particular amid the shift towards artificial intelligence (AI). Janine Chamberlin, head of LinkedIn UK, said: 'Just as AI is reshaping the workplace and demanding more adaptable, collaborative leadership, we're seeing women's progress into senior roles stall for the third year running. 'Women are 20% more likely to have that multi-domain experience, working across different industries and functions, which creates exactly the kind of flexible, agile leaders businesses need for AI transformation. 'Yet we're locking them out of leadership precisely when we need those skills most.' The online giant believes that a skills-based approach to hiring – through prioritising skills over qualifications in recruitment – could broaden the talent pool for women by 6.3 times globally.
