Extraordinary Hartlepool Borough Council meeting called over claims public have been 'misled' over council tax

Labour councillors on Hartlepool Borough Council have called for an extraordinary meeting to take place on Monday, October 16.

Their request stated it has been arranged “to discuss and/or pass motions regarding the misleading of both the public and elected members on the issue of council tax by the council leader and potentially other members of the Conservative coalition”.

They added it is “a matter of utmost urgency in the context of the financing position of the authority” and also impacts “public confidence in the council leadership”.

Conservative councillor Mike Young, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, speaking ahead of the meeting, said in response to Labour’s request: “At present, I have very little to add to what has been shared in the pre-meeting agenda papers.”

The request from Labour councillors comes following a row at a full council meeting last month around a Conservative leaflet previously distributed in the Hart ward.

It stated “the new Conservative leader for Hartlepool Borough Council (Cllr Mike Young) has revealed that the next budget for 2024/25 will see council tax frozen for Hartlepool residents”.

Councillor Jonathan Brash, deputy leader of the Labour group, read out the statement at the meeting and questioned Cllr Young as to why a council tax freeze for next year had not been proposed to council to support the leaflet’s claims.

Cllr Young replied by stating “the leaflet that went out was meant to say that we were looking towards the possibility of that”.

He added officers are working on a report looking ahead to next year’s budget which is to come before the relevant committee in November and that they already “know more” around finances than when the leaflet was produced in August.

Yet at the meeting Cllr Brash responded to the comments around the leaflet by stating “you are not allowed to mislead council”.

The extraordinary council meeting will take place on Monday from 7pm at Hartlepool Civic Centre.

Cllr Young added: “I am aware that an extraordinary council meeting has been called by the Labour Party as per the council’s constitution.

“I will be able to comment further once the meeting has taken place next week.’’