Tory councillor says politics is “completely and utterly toxic” as National Insurance motion defeated

Labour councillors voted down proposals for the authority write to chancellor Rachel Reeves urging her to scrap “unpopular” Budget decisions.

Nick Farmer, Tory councillor for Ossett, said the measures would have “catastrophic implications for the Wakefield district, its residents and businesses.”

Ms Reeves described the increase as “difficult”, but said it was the right choice in order to fund public services when she announced the plan last month.

Coun Farmer took a swipe at the new government as he introduced his motion at a full council meeting on Wednesday (November 27).

He said: “I’ve been a Conservative councillor for six years and I feel so let down by them.

“Unfortunately, you are being let down as well by your Labour Party.

“In the next 17 or 18 months you are going to have to face the music at the local elections.

“The hypocrisy of your government so far is mindblowing – 50,000 pensioners are going to be put in poverty. Why do something like that?”

The motion was seconded by Conservative and Independent group leader Nadeem Ahmed.

Referring to the employer National Insurance hike, he said: “These cost implications are not about Amazon and those big companies.

“It’s the vast majority of companies that are just on the edge.of surviving.

“It’s going to cost them. It’s going to cost their budgets and they are going to lay staff off.

“Their families are going to be left, this Christmas or next Christmas, not knowing if they have got a livelihood.”

Speaking against the motion, council deputy leader Jack Hemingway said: “Yet again we see the opposition taking a deeply cynical position that conveniently ignores 14 years of Tory mismanagement of the national finances.

“They would dearly like us to forget the inheritance we received from the government.

“Why do they they think the new government is having to raise certain taxes four months into its term of office?

“It’s because they left Labour a £22bn black hole. Departments overspent, committed to projects they couldn’t afford.

Coun Hermingway said Labour’s Budget figures had been backed by the Office for Budget Responsibility and Institute for Fiscal Studies.

He added: “No government wants to raises taxes.

“But the cheek of the Conservatives sat here criticising tax rises when their government saw taxes hit record highs – come on, show some integrity and consistency.

“We are fixing the mess that lot left behind you.”

Steve Tulley, Labour councillor for South Elmsall and South Kirkby, said: “Nobody wants to discuss the situation about what’s going to happen, going forward, about funding our public services.

“The money has got to be found. I’m glad this Labour government has put some clear blue water between what we stand for and what the Tories stood for.

“That’s the reason why we need to oppose this motion and continue to fight for people in this district, for better services.

“I would urge everyone in the council chamber today to oppose the ridiculous motion.”

Before the vote was taken, Coun Farmer said: “I really hope Rachel Reeves succeeds.

“But I have got a funny feeling that we are going to be in recession by May 2026, when all of you lot are up for election.

“I might be with the Reform Party, I may be with the Monster Raving Loony Party.

“I may not even stand because politics is completely and utterly toxic.

“It’s full of back-stabbing people who lie, and lie, and lie. The hypocrisy is unbelievable.

“There’s one person out of the MPs in your party that I would put in a trench with me and that’s Jon Trickett (MP for Normanton and Hemsworth).

“The rest of them are cowards with no spine whatsoever.”

A second motion put forward by Coun Ahmed calling on the government to abandon plans to raise the bus fare cap from £2 to £3 was withdrawn.