Investigation to begin over claims Hartlepool electors have been 'misled' by council tax leaflet

An extraordinary meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council was called by Labour councillors to discuss their concerns following a leaflet published earlier this year.

Councillors unanimously agreed that the “matter of whether there has been dishonesty” would be referred to the local authority’s audit and governance committee for investigation.

Welcoming the investigation, Conservative Councillor Mike Young, the leader of the council, said there has been “a lot of things that have happened in the background along the way”.

Councillor Jonathan Brash, deputy leader of the Labour group, provided a presentation to Monday’s meeting outlining their concerns, which centred on a Conservative leaflet 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”.

Speaking at the last full council meeting, Cllr Young had clarified “the leaflet that went out was meant to say that we were looking towards the possibility of that” and they were now awaiting further budgetary information.

A quote attributed to Cllr Young in the leaflet stated that, when he first became council leader, he “immediately instructed officers to start preparing for a budget that froze council tax”.

However, in Cllr Brash’s presentation, he showed an email he received from the council managing director Denise McGuckin on October 3, which stated she was “not aware of any discussions where the leader has instructed officers to start preparing for a budget that froze council tax”.

Cllr Young said: “There has been a number of informal meetings. What I will say is based on the evidence that you’ve brought, I welcome an investigation by audit and governance, I think that should happen.”

He added last month he contacted the managing director discussing potentially bringing forward a motion “about a council tax freeze” but, following further advice, did not do so.

Cllr Brash said: “The conclusions are very clear. There is a case to be heard here that council and the public have been misled.”

As part of the unanimously approved recommendations, Conservative councillor Tom Cassidy, as the publisher of the leaflet, will be referred to the Electoral Commission for investigation.