Wakefield Conservative leader backs Labour in council cash plea to government

The leader of Wakefield's Conservatives has backed the Labour-run council's call for the government to cover its spiralling coronavirus bill.
Councillor Nadeem Ahmed has co-signed a letter with leader Denise Jeffery, asking the government to back councils financially through the current crisis.Councillor Nadeem Ahmed has co-signed a letter with leader Denise Jeffery, asking the government to back councils financially through the current crisis.
Councillor Nadeem Ahmed has co-signed a letter with leader Denise Jeffery, asking the government to back councils financially through the current crisis.

Nadeem Ahmed, who heads the council's Tory opposition, said he wanted a "fair" settlement for local authorities, who have had to spend big during the crisis.

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Coun Ahmed has co-signed a letter with the local Labour leadership calling on the government to cover the costs of local authorities.

With the UK in recession again, Councillor Ahmed said he would not back another round of austerity, having supported cuts to public services during the last decade.With the UK in recession again, Councillor Ahmed said he would not back another round of austerity, having supported cuts to public services during the last decade.
With the UK in recession again, Councillor Ahmed said he would not back another round of austerity, having supported cuts to public services during the last decade.

He also said he would not support a new round of austerity, with the country facing a severe recession.

Coun Ahmed has previously spoken in support of the cutbacks to public services that were ongoing during the last decade.

"I'm hoping the government can help all local councils with some form of financial support," he said on Wednesday.

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"We (Labour and Conservatives) will always disagree on certain things but it's important that we're fighting for people in Wakefield.

"I think that's what they'd expect us to be doing right now.

He added: "I wouldn't support anything like austerity now.

"I did support austerity originally because I didn't want the country to go bankrupt, but there has been unintended consequences from that.

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"I don't want the lowest paid, those on middle incomes and young people saddled with debt to suffer or be punished."

Having called for lower taxes in the past, Coun Ahmed said he would reluctantly approve of asking people to pay more, once the rebuilding job on the economy begins.

But he said efficiency savings should come from "democracy" first, through cutting the number MPs, House of Lords members and councillors.

The former deputy headteacher also gave his views on the government's controversial stance on school reopenings, which could start with some primary pupils returning.

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Wakefield Council now says it will support any schools wishing to gradually reopen to all pupils from June 1, but leader Denise Jeffery said her personal view was that next month was "too soon" for this to happen.

Coun Ahmed said the decision should be taken out of the hands of headteachers and academy chiefs and made by the regional schools commissioner instead.

"I believe if it's safe, yes they should go back as soon as they can," he said.

"But I think the focus should be on the Year 9 and 10 students doing their GCSEs.

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"As it stands a Year 10 student doing their first GCSE next May is going to lose five months of their education.

"If that's the case, then it will be students from disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic minority students and those with special educational needs who will miss out the most.

"If you start with older students it will be easier to split classes and socially distance.

"Primary schools tend to be smaller with bigger class sizes so it's harder to meet the protocols for them."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

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