Revelation comes as its claimed the vast majority of additional government grant funding given to Hartlepool Borough Council was swallowed up by employee national insurance contributions & officer pay increases, leaving locals shouldering yet another agonising increase in their Household Council Tax bill...
21st Jan 2025.
The Labour Group in control of Hartlepool Borough Council have reportedly set themselves on a collision course with increasingly angry locals, following claims that Council Tax bills are set to be increased by almost 5% in just weeks, despite the fact that the local council recieved millions of pounds worth of additional funding from the Labour Government.
Just weeks ago, Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash hailed the additional Government funding for the council as "incredibly positive" and "only the beginning."
This funding was meant to address an alleged 'dire financial situation', with the council reportedly facing a near £10 million pounds budget deficit. The local council, already said to be marred by its reputation as "an authority of no public confidence" in 2023, seemed to have been handed a much needed lifeline.
However, in an explosive revelation from the town’s Conservative Group, its claimed the additional funding given to Hartlepool Borough Council from the Labour Government is likely to be almost entirely consumed by the Government’s changes to National Insurance contributions and officer pay increases. This leaves Hartlepool residents facing the brunt of the financial shortfall, with a proposed 4.99% Council Tax hike already making its way through council proceedings. The increase passed its first hurdle this week during a meeting of the councils Finance & Policy Committee, sparking outrage amongst locals.
Broken Promises, & locals have clearly 'had enough' !
The move to hike council tax bills in the borough has drawn sharp criticism, as well as accusations of broken promises & even electoral fraud by the towns Labour Group to get itself back in control of the local council. For years in opposition, Labour vehemently opposed Council Tax increases proposed by the then Conservative-led Independent Coalition. Yet now, are said to be championing the very policy they once condemned....
The Hartlepool Conservatives have been vocal about the perceived hypocrisy by Labour. In a statement on their official social media page, they said:
“For six years, Labour contested and complained about the potential of raising Council Tax when the Conservative Coalition was in leadership of Hartlepool Council. In 2021, we froze Council Tax and in our last year of leadership offered the second-lowest Council Tax rise in the country. Yesterday, Labour celebrated the fact that more money was being sent from government to our council - but admitted that it largely went towards covering the Employers’ National Insurance increase and pay rises for council officers. What’s more bizarre is that they maintained the need for a maximum level Council Tax rise of 5%. Conservatives voted against this rise.”
Public Outrage Reaches Boiling Point
The prospect of officer pay increases has become a significant flash-point in the controversy.
Residents in Hartlepool, one of the most deprived areas in the country, are already said to be struggling under mounting financial pressures. Middlesbrough, just nine miles away, ranks as the most impoverished area in England, highlighting the dire situation faced by communities in the region.
Some locals are now getting set to try their luck at refusal to pay what they believe is
'a Directors luxury tax'
Fuelling the anger is the revelation that the council’s most senior director now earns an eye-watering £182,500 annually, supplemented by a £20,000 pension contribution. Many see this as emblematic of a wider issue: a council leadership out of touch with the hardships of ordinary residents. Public sentiment suggests that the situation is like a pressure cooker, rapidly filling with frustration and lacking any release valve.
Further exacerbating the issue are claims of discriminatory and punitive Council Tax recovery efforts targeting some of Hartlepool’s most vulnerable households. This has led to widespread resentment against the local council, with many questioning how Labour’s governance can reconcile such measures with their promises to prioritise the well-being of local people.
What Happens Next?
As the Council Tax increase inches closer to final approval, questions loom over the Hartlepool Labour Group’s ability to navigate this crisis without alienating even more of their local constituents.
For many residents, the perceived betrayal of Labour’s earlier election promises is a bitter pill to swallow. With anger mounting, the coming weeks could prove pivotal for the political landscape in Hartlepool.
Have Your Say......
Is it time for mass Non - Refusal to pay, so the Government will finally deal with the Council Tax Crisis ?
YES
NO