Wakefield Conservatives: 'Council tax increase not fair, but government needs to address social care crisis'

Councillor Nadeem Ahmed has laid out the Tories' shadow budget in response to the Labour-run council's proposals, which are expected to be approved by a majority vote next week.

Labour's budget includes a near four per cent rise in council tax, which will kick in for Wakefield households from April. Just over half of the money from the increase will go towards paying for social care.

By comparison, all other West Yorkshire authorities are likely to bring in a near five per cent rise this year.

The Conservatives will table a proposed amendment to the budget at a meeting next week, with suggested changes including cuts to the number of councillors in the Cabinet and extra spending on mental health support workers.

Councillor Ahmed said: "Had it been a smaller council tax increase, like one per cent or two per cent, I think I could support that.

"But I don't think this increase can be justified."

"When people have either lost their jobs or been furloughed, which means they'll have been on only 80 per cent of their pay, I don't think it can be justified."

Labour has repeatedly called on the government to publish a long-awaited bill on the future of social care funding, which was first promised in 2017.

The party argues that telling local councils to raise council tax if they need more cash to fund looking after the elderly is both unfair and unsustainable.

Asked if he agreed that the government should put forward their own proposals to fund social care nationally, Coun Ahmed replied: "Yes, they should.

"The issue isn't going to go away.

"People are living longer and with more serious illnesses and the current system can't keep up with that.

"There needs to be a national strategy put forward to deal with that."

The Conservatives have called on the council to employ five "neighbourhood patrollers" and an extra six mental health support workers, citing the impact of Covid on people's mental wellbeing.

Ideas introduced by the Tory group in previous years, including cutting council payments to the Hepworth Gallery, deputy mayor and trade union convenors, have also been put forward again.

Labour's budget includes an extra £500,000 to be invested in parks and green spaces and a £600,000 increase in funding for employment programmes.

£1.8m has also been set aside for drivers to be given two hours free parking, though that move has not yet been confirmed and is still subject to consultation.

Coun Ahmed said that the council could save cash by merging some of its services with those of other neighbouring authorities.

He added: "With the elected mayoral system coming, I think there's an opportunity there to centralise departments like planning and licensing.

"There needs to be a joint approach.

"When you've got an Uber driver who works across Leeds and Wakefield for example, it makes sense that it's run by one system.

"A lot of our proposals are about us looking beyond lockdown and mending some of the issues we'll face, particularly with mental health.

"We need a long-term plan to address those things."

Wakefield's Conservatives have laid out proposed changes to the Labour-run council's budget.

Tory group leader Nadeem Ahmed said he was against another tax rise but that he agreed with Labour calls for the government to finally publish its social care bill.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The Conservative amendment to go to full council next week in full:

Amend the proposed 2021/22 revenue budget and the updated 2020/21 – 2023/24 capital programme by;

a) A reduction of £89k to the chief executive’s unit revenue budget to be achieved by removing the funding for the trade union convenors (part-year effect).

b) A reduction of £125k to the regeneration and economic growth directorate revenue budget to be achieved by accelerating the reduction in the service concession agreement to The Hepworth Wakefield.

c) A reduction of £33k to the chief executive’s unit revenue budget to be achieved by abolishing the role of deputy portfolio holders (part-year effect).

d) A reduction of £22k to the chief executive’s unit revenue budget to be achieved by a reducing the number of Cabinet portfolio holder roles by two (part-year effect).

e) A reduction of £5k to the chief executive’s unit revenue budget to be achieved by abolishing the role of the deputy mayor (part-year effect).

f) A reduction of £97k to the chief executive’s unit revenue budget to be achieved by reducing all elected member special responsibility allowances by 50 per cent (part-year effect).

g) An increase of £135k to the regeneration and economic growth budget in order to fund an additional five neighbourhood patroller posts (part-year

effect).

h) An injection into the capital programme for the sum of £59k for the acquisition of an access bus to improve public transport provision in rural areas of the district, to be funded by prudential borrowing.

i) An increase of £56k to the regeneration and economic growth budget in order to fund the running costs of the access bus to improve public transport provision in rural areas of the district (part-year effect).

j) An increase of £180k to the adult and health directorate budget to fund an additional six mental health support workers.

k) An injection into the capital programme for the sum of £220k for the planned repair of an additional 5,000 potholes to be funded by prudential borrowing.