Hartlepool councillor Stephen Akers-Belcher apologises to chief solicitor after outburst over council tax support

Cllr Stephen Akers-Belcher, Socialist Labour Party representative on Hartlepool Borough Council, made the apology to the council’s chief solicitor Hayley Martin at Thursday’s full council meeting.

It came following a debate at the previous full council meeting around calls to fund the full costs of council tax bills for those claiming Local Council Tax Support (LCTS).

Cllr Akers-Belcher said although the decision to not fully cover the costs of the council tax bills for those claiming LCTS has ‘kept him awake on a night’, he owed an apology to Ms Martin for the way he questioned her.

Cllr Akers-Belcher said: “There was a causality in all of this, and people demanding apologies who don’t really deserve an apology, and one person who does is Hayley Martin.

“She was in the crossfire of it, she was giving advice on behalf of this council and I think what I’d said to her was unreasonable and uncalled for and I am deeply sorry for the way that I did speak to Hayley, I have a lot of time and respect for Hayley.

“I have emailed her separately, but I think when you make a mistake and you’re unfair to somebody, it’s all well and good doing that privately, but I did that publicly, so I wanted to publicly apologise.”

At the previous meeting Cllr Akers-Belcher said he wanted to look to get further legal advice on the budget passed, and if correct poverty and equality assessments were taken, beyond the guidance given by Ms Martin.

Cllr Akers-Belcher stressed nobody had asked him to give the apology, but it was the ‘right thing to say’.

He added the decisions around LCTS for the year had been made and everyone has to move on from it now, but he was unhappy with the outcome to not fully cover the costs of council tax bills for those on LCTS.

He said: “The decision that was made in relation to the council tax support has probably been one of the very few things that has kept me awake on a night and has truly disturbed me.

“I’ve spent many years helping feed people, helping support people who have suffered with poverty and family poverty.

“I think we made the wrong decision that night, and what I would like to say is there are people who do have selfie sticks almost when they’re helping people, and I just think we need to be more thoughtful.”

Council officers previously noted residents claiming LCTS had their full council tax bill, including the fire and police precepts, covered in 2020/21 as part of an overall Government Covid-19 support funding package.

For 2020/21 councils were ‘effectively mandated’ to provide further support to LCTS claimants, but a different funding package and arrangements for 2021/22 means it is up to councils how they use funding provided, according to council officers.

They also previously noted the existing LCTS scheme remains in place in Hartlepool, meaning residents have to pay a minimum of 12% for their council tax bills, which is ‘the best in the region’.

At that meeting councillors also agreed to freeze council tax for residents in Hartlepool for 2021/22, which included a freeze on the adult social care precept.

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