Hucknall councillor accuses Nottinghamshire County Council of suffering with Stockholm Syndrome

Coun Lee Waters (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall South at County Hall, was speaking during a fiery budget debate at the latest meeting of the council’s finance committee.

During his speech, he claimed that the Conservatives in County Hall were being held captive by significant Government cuts.

Coun Waters revealed research by the Independent Alliance at County Hall that showed that Government grants had been reduced by a £111 million in just seven years.

Coun Waters also said it was ‘a scandal’ that taxpayers in Nottinghamshire pay more than a quarter in council tax more than wealthy people who live in places like Islington and Westminster.

He said: “Whilst the £150 rebate (as announced by the Chancellor last week) based on 1989 valuations will be welcome in Band A to D households is it not true Mr Chairman that this council is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome?

“It happens to hostage victims when they have positive feelings toward a captor.

"The reality is Mr Chairman that Nottinghamshire County Council has been held captive by a Conservative Government determined to axe local Government services in Nottinghamshire time and time again.

“Now, they expect you to be grateful for this one-off help and you’ve fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

“We’re in favour of this rushed announcement Mr Chairman – but in reality rich people down south will benefit at the same rate that people living in Nottinghamshire will benefit.

"Houses in, say, Islington in Band D that are worth many hundreds of thousands of pounds more will get the same help.

"If you live in a Band D property in Westminster, your total council tax this year will be around the £1,500 mark.

“Yet in places like Hucknall, it will be well over £2,000 – is this fair?”

Coun Richard Jackson (Con), chairman of the finance committee said: “This is no service cuts with additional funding and investment going into the services that matter the most to Nottinghamshire residents.

“Rather than headline grabbing, the opposition should be welcoming this budget as it prioritises services to the county’s most vulnerable residents and is ploughing millions into improving our roads, the very things that we have been asked to look at.

“This budget will deliver an additional £12 million in funding which will see us doubling the number of patching teams working on our roads, £3 million in new investment towards our carbon zero targets, £20.7 million in additional funding for social care to look after the most vulnerable residents as we move on from the pandemic and £15 million in additional funding to ensure we keep our most vulnerable children and young people safe.”

Coun Jackson added that following the Government’s announcement last week, 90 per cent of Nottinghamshire households, some 331,000 homes, will pay less council tax in 2022-23 than they did this year.

He continued: “This budget includes an additional £19.6m from central Government – a direct result of the work we’ve done to lobby Government at the highest levels.

“I’m proud that once again Nottinghamshire County Council is proposing a balanced budget, which means we can get on with the job of providing the services our residents need, and want.”