Dear Sir,

Whilst Cllr. Michael Stead is (rightly) criticised for offering something he cannot provide, people are forgetting that the cause of the problem of over-inflated Council Tax is the Tory government. I would offer this as his fair challenge, why not join with the Labour councillors in campaigning for fair treatment of all the residents we aim to serve? We are stronger together if we face this issue united.

For too long residents have wanted to see a joined-up approach to this issue, here is our offer. Work with us and not against us, for the residents of Newton Aycliffe.

In the past decade, government cuts have left Durham County Council with a hole in its budget of £250,000 a year. Meanwhile, the government has actually increased the range of statutory services they require the Council to deliver.

In order to pay for these services, the Tories have ‘allowed’ councils (and it is the same for the Police) to raise extra money on the Council Tax. Thus, eg:, our Council Tax has for a number of years included an ‘Adult Social Care’ surcharge and – this year – the government has ‘allowed’ councils to impose a 5% raise to pay for the pandemic (DCC is not taking the full amount, but other north east councils have been forced to levy the full 5% increase – their alternative being to go bankrupt).

Consequently – where ten years ago our council tax payments met just 40% of the County Council’s revenue budget, this year they are going to have to cover 60%. And it has been estimated that 87% of this year’s settlement increase is in fact coming from the assumed council tax increase.

It is time Cllr. Stead realised that the fault does not lie with Council ‘inefficiency’, but is the result of a decade of the Tories shifting the cost of local services onto local council taxpayers. The Tories talk ‘levelling up’, whilst relentlessly dipping into our pockets, and if Cllr. Stead really wants to make a difference to our council tax, he needs to turn his attention to the Party that is causing the problem and join in with the Party working towards a solution.

The answer is not saving £20 a month on photocopying, but campaigning for the restoration of that £250,000 per annum, to allow the County Council to meet its residents’ needs.

Sedgefield CLP Campaigns Team.

Simon Hocking