Latest news with #Tory-controlled
The Courier
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
New Angus Council leader George Meechan on 'public squabbling'
Angus Council's newly-installed coalition leader says he will not lower himself to 'petty bickering' in the first stramash of his new reign. Kirriemuir and Dean councillor George Meechan will lead a 13-strong Conservative/Independent/Labour alliance which dumped the SNP from power on Tuesday. It came just weeks after his formal resignation from the administration he was part of since being elected in 2022. One-time ruling group colleague David Cheape delivered a blistering attack on the outcome of this week's no confidence motion. It saw the SNP ousted by 14 votes to 13. Carnoustie Independent Mr Cheape, who was Deputy Provost of Angus, said: 'Make no mistake, this is not a coalition. 'This is now a Tory-controlled council, and those who now propose to act as crutches to allow the Conservatives to run Angus Council will, I believe, come to rue the day they signed up to this.' He added: 'The new Conservative administration is propped up by not only the usual 'fake' Independents but, unbelievably, a Labour councillor and an SNP defector. 'They should enjoy it while it lasts as they have been played. 'The only real reason Cllr Meechan left the previous administration was because votes didn't go his way.' Mr Cheape said the new leader should 'resign immediately'. 'The SNP paid his election costs and voters elected him on that ticket. He did not get elected to support a Tory council now,' he added. 'Most of all, I feel sorry for the constituents of Angus standing back and watching this debacle. 'Equally so the council officers having to pick up the pieces of a coup of this nature more than halfway through a council term. 'The ensuing chaos will be felt most by the electorate.' Mr Meechan responded: 'The recent changes in leadership are about moving Angus forward, not playing political games. 'This new administration is focused on delivering results, not fostering division. 'It's time to put the past behind us and work for the people of Angus. 'I am sorry that Councillor Cheape has chosen to lower himself to petty bickering. 'I, however, hold higher standards so will not be participating in public squabbling.'
Telegraph
20-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
How Labour councils are increasing tax more than Tory ones
Labour town halls are increasing council tax more than that Conservative-held ones, according to analysis. Councils controlled by Labour will increase total bills by an average of more than 5 per cent for next year, while the Tories will put them up by 4.76 per cent. It comes as the Government confirmed that the average household will see its council tax bill go up by £109, to £2,280 for Band D properties. The Tories claimed that Labour had 'left town halls left to foot the blame when record bills hit the doormat'. The analysis comes as Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, fired the starting gun on the party's local elections' campaign, with voters going to the ballot box on May 1. She promised 'lower taxes and better services'. She added: 'We are the only credible choice: Lib Dems will wreck your public services, Reform has no experience running anything, Greens will run councils into the ground and Labour will spend, tax and waste your money, just like they always do.' But Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said that her new pledge was 'comical', citing figures showing that across 19 Tory-controlled councils bills had risen by 23.5 per cent over the past five years. 'The Tories' track record in local government is one of higher taxes and crumbling services. After decades of mismanagement, Conservative councils across the country are buckling under the pressure.' Residents in Liberal Democrat-run authorities face the steepest overall council tax bills, at £2,344 for a Band D property, inclusive of all precepts from fire, police and potential mayoral or parish precepts. This is followed by the Tories at £2,299. But Labour local authorities have increased bills compared to last year's receipts by the greatest amount, at 5.01 per cent, compared to the Lib Dems at 4.97 per cent and the Tories at 4.76 per cent, according to analysis by The Telegraph. The largest rises in the councils' own levies came from Labour councils in Bradford, where it is set to rise by 10 per cent, and increases of 9 per cent in Labour-run Newnham and Lib Dem-run Windsor and Maidenhead. Mrs Badenoch said on Thursday morning that the party was aiming to do a 'bit better' than a local election wipe-out, warning that she expected the contest to be 'extremely difficult'. The council seats up for grabs at the local elections in May were last contested in 2021, when Boris Johnson achieved sweeping success. Only Labour and Liberal Democrat-run councils which are imposing council tax rises above the mainstream 5 per cent referendum threshold this year. Town halls cannot put up the levy by more than a specific amount – currently 5 per cent – without voters agreeing in a local referendum or having agreed a specific carve out by the Government. A Labour spokesman said: 'The numbers are clear, on average Conservative councils charge households £300 more than Labour councils. The Tories decimated our local services. 'Labour is picking local government back up off its knees with a funding settlement that sees a 4.3 per cent real terms increase in funding this year, compared to last.' A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: 'We are under no illusion about the scale of financial issues facing councils we inherited and our work is underway to fix the foundations and bring long-term stability to the sector. 'And while councils are ultimately responsible for setting their own council tax levels, we have been clear that they should put taxpayers first and carefully consider the impact of their decisions. 'That's why we are maintaining a referendum threshold on council tax rises, so taxpayers can have the final say and be protected from excessive increases.'
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Council spends £30k removing ‘noisy' speed bump amid £45m deficit
A cash-strapped council has spent £30,000 to remove a 'noisy' speed bump that cost £4,000 to install last year. Norfolk County Council built the speed bump and a zebra crossing in the town of Dereham to make the area safer for pedestrians, including pupils at nearby Northgate High School. But residents complained that heavy lorries would make a loud rattling noise when they drove over the raised portion of road, prompting the council to remove it less than a year later. The Tory-controlled town hall was forced to make sweeping cuts and tax rises to plug a £44.7m budget shortfall for the 2025-26 financial year. Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, has previously warned that the authority could go bust unless the Government helps with its growing financial pressures. She said the authority was experiencing 'the toughest financial challenges the council has ever faced'. The council has confirmed council tax will rise by 4.99pc in the April 2025-26 tax year – the maximum amount local authorities can raise the levy without a referendum.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council spends £30k removing ‘noisy' speed bump amid £45m deficit
A cash-strapped council has spent £30,000 to remove a 'noisy' speed bump that cost £4,000 to install last year. Norfolk County Council built the speed bump and a zebra crossing in the town of Dereham to make the area safer for pedestrians, including pupils at nearby Northgate High School. But residents complained that heavy lorries would make a loud rattling noise when they drove over the raised portion of road, prompting the council to remove it less than a year later. The Tory-controlled town hall was forced to make sweeping cuts and tax rises to plug a £44.7m budget shortfall for the 2025-26 financial year. Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, has previously warned that the authority could go bust unless the Government helps with its growing financial pressures. She said the authority was experiencing 'the toughest financial challenges the council has ever faced'. The council has confirmed council tax will rise by 4.99pc in the April 2025-26 tax year – the maximum amount local authorities can raise the levy without a referendum. The project to install the speed bump and zebra crossing on Quebec Road in Dereham cost the authority £216,343, with the speed bump itself costing £4,400 to build. The council has not removed the zebra crossing. Harry Clarke, a Dereham town councillor, said the project had been a 'farce', and pointed out that £30,000 is the same amount the local council is considering taking away from Dereham Meeting Point, a charity that offers day-care for disabled people and over-55s. He added: 'It's a mixture of waste and incompetence and lack of communication. It's not rocket science to install a speed bump. 'There's an unfortunate parallel with the charity which is under threat from having £30,000 withdrawn. Residents will draw their own conclusions.' Norfolk County Council is struggling to balance the books due to rising demand for adult social care and children's services. In December, the local authority said it would switch off 1,000 street lights in a bid to save cash. Powering street lights costs the council around £4m per year, and the proposal would save an estimated £200,000 per year. In February, the Government agreed to provide Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to 30 councils in England for the 2025-26 financial year. Norfolk County Council was not among them. A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said: 'The new zebra crossing and wider improvements carried out as part of this project have improved road safety in the area and we will continue to monitor the performance of the new crossing facility and traffic speeds at this location. 'It was necessary to remove the raised element of the zebra crossing due to the increased noise disturbance caused to neighbouring properties. 'We fully understand local feelings on wider council decisions but must stress that government funding for highway improvements cannot be used to support other frontline services.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
