Cllr John Taylor was pleased to be able to propose the Conservative's budget for 2022-23 which would see a Council Tax freeze (with no cuts to services) and increased investment in roads but also, more importantly, a fund for teachers to help pupils who have fallen behind during the pandemic catch up, this is real levelling up in practice.
Now we need to elect a Conservative administration in place of Labour to enable us to put this in place.
Transcript below
Conservative Group Amendment Councillor Taylor Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to start first by associating myself with comments other colleagues have made. Thanking the officers for bringing forward the budget, but also taking the opportunity to thank officers and members, to be honest, for the work that everybody's been doing over the last couple of years, because I think we have been through, as made a number of times in the meeting tonight, it's been very unusual times and I think everybody needs, the credit for the work that they've been doing. So I'd just like to associate myself with those comments first if I may, Mr. Mayor.
I would now like to formally move the Conservative Groups budget amendment, which obviously has been circulated to members already. In moving the amendment and reading the report that has been provided by the administration, I note that the Labour administration's budget proposals have been badged as a 'budget for recovery' and I agree that the priority does need to be on recovery, but it's a recovery from the wasted decade when this Labour administration, unlike it's Labour-run neighbouring councils, failed to invest for the people of Kirklees and failed to plan.
We've had other people who have spoken this evening that have talked about the investments that have gone on in our neighbouring boroughs and we've seen nothing here. So the recovery we need is a recovery from that wasted decade. Councillor Pandor has made much of the planned ambitious growth proposals, an eye-watering £210 million just for Huddersfield alone.
Largely funded by borrowing, at a time when interest rates are predicted to quadruple to over 2% by next year. So we have an administration which did nothing while its neighbours were investing in their boroughs and now decides to spend huge sums, borrow huge sums, just as interest rates start to rise. Not a great legacy they are creating now - it will be people who will have to pay for that in years to come.
We propose reviewing those proposals, ensuring that they reflect the reality, the post-pandemic world we are in and also take that time to see if there's a way that we can reduce the cost to the Council by reshaping some of the proposals to try and meet the Levelling-Up criteria, which is starting to be fleshed out by Michael Gove MP and the team. Rushing ahead full pelt at the moment would prevent us from taking advantage of any funds that may become available. It is prudent to wait.
There's rightly been much concern about the security in which these proposals are being developed and the lack of transparency about business cases, which have already been commented about this evening. This was something that was brought into sharp focus by the George Hotel debacle, which showed that the lack of a detailed business case, led to the administration tarnishing the reputation of this Council by reneging on a deal with Rugby League Cares.
One does wonder if private investors observing that would be willing to invest in a Council that behaves in such a way.
A Conservative administration will improve the transparency, by setting up a cross-party scrutiny panel who will be authorised to see the confidential papers and provide a robust challenge to our administration on those business cases and the broader regeneration proposals. To be credible, you also have to be transparent and be open to challenge. A change in culture you'll see with a Conservative administration. I'm proud to introduce the Conservative proposals.
As this shows, we are focusing on the issues that people are talking about on the doorsteps. Councilor Pandor claims his administration has consulted the public, yet his own former deputy leader calls the administration's attempt to consult the public "pathetic". So even his own cabinet don't agree with him.
The pandemics had a significant impact on young people and we all know that getting a good education is the best guarantee of success in life. I'm pleased, therefore, to be putting forward an additional £1 million a year into frontline education, to support those pupils who've been falling behind their peers. I don't claim to know the best way to help children, but I know from talking to local teachers that it's the schools who know best how to support their pupils.
So we will be asking schools to bid for the funding, to use it in ways that best support the children in their school because they know them best. Levelling Up in education should have been at the forefront of all of the party's proposals at this time and I'm disappointed it wasn't a priority for this Labour administration.
Families who have children with special education needs are often the hardest hit. And I'd like to take this opportunity to pay credit to Mel Meggs and the team for the work they've been doing, the hard work they've been, doing to transform opportunities for pupils in this area. I'm pleased the quiet lobbying that's been going on is seeing the Department of Education recognise the challenges we face as a Council and that they are working positively with officers to find a solution.
We as a group recognise this challenge, we are making an additional £2 million available to support this over the medium-term financial planning period.
Residents are greatly concerned about the cost of living rises at the moment and the difficult choices people face as a result of that. And I note that Councillor Pandor and other members have made much of the local welfare provision support that's being provided by the Council.
They failed to mention, though, that this funding was provided directly by the Government as a grant, the Household Support Fund.
So it's the Government that's funded this, not money from the Council's own coffers. At a time when all households are having to make difficult choices, I do not think we as a council should avoid doing so. And I am proud that as a group, we have found a way to avoid taking the maximum increase in council tax. This will help those families who are finding cost of living increases difficult, especially those who may not benefit from some of the other provision which the Government is putting in place.
Labour will no doubt claim that there is no alternative to increase in the council tax, but our budget amendment, which has been signed off as viable, shows that there is indeed an alternative and I suspect the public will make their own judgment on who is looking out for families who are hard-pressed and who is taking as much as they can.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
