Hucknall: Ashfield District Council to hold special meeting on how to support families with cost-of-living crisis

Ashfield District Council will dedicate a special full council meeting to debating the ongoing cost of living crisis and how it can get other local organisations to support struggling households.

The authority became one of the first councils in the country to declare a 'cost of living emergency' on Thursday evening (July 7).

Councillors are writing to local MPs and the Government to ask for quicker action.

The motion, proposed by Councillor Jason Zadrozny, leader of the council, passed with 26 votes for and four abstentions. It calls on the Government to reintroduce the £20 Universal Credit uplift, which was removed following the Covid-19 pandemic, and to reduce VAT from 20 to 17.5 per cent.

These are measures the council believes will help ease the burden on struggling families as gas, electric, petrol and food bills surge.

The authority is also calling on Whitehall to reintroduce the 'triple lock' on state pensions, temporarily removed following the pandemic, which gives pensioners a guarantee their income will increase at least in line with inflation.

A Government spokesperson has confirmed the triple-lock is planned to be brought back into effect in 2023.

Councillor Keir Morrison (Labour), who represents Hucknall South, agreed with the motion but called for it to go further, criticising a lack of wage growth for workers over the past 12 years and increased in-work poverty.

He said: "I think, whilst I agree with the principle of the motion, it could be better.

"The thing that's missing is highlighting wages and the fact wages have stagnated over a number of years, and a crisis of in-work poverty is at breaking point.

"That leads me onto recent events where you see industrial action taken by the RMT union and rail unions and, when I watch the news, you get people saying 'strike action doesn't actually achieve anything, if anything it's going to drive up the cost of living.

"What would you expect workers to do? Would you expect them to send an email? Do you think they're going to take crumb off the plate or bosses are going to give them wage rises out of good will?

"The only way workers are ever going to increase terms, conditions and pay is to withdraw the labour, that's all it ever has been and I think that's a glaring admission in this motion in addressing the real, root-cause of in-work poverty.

"The public sector pay cap needs lifting, legislation against wage increases in the private sector needs dealing with, and finally, this point about foodbanks.

"There are fantastic volunteers the length and breadth of this country who keep foodbanks going and these are really important to ensure people are fed.

"But what an indictment in 2022 that we have to rely on foodbanks to feed people in this country. We should be working on getting rid of foodbanks because it's an absolute stain on this country that they exist in the first place.

"I will support the motion, but please look at in-work poverty."

Responding to his specific concerns, Councillor Zadrozny said: "I agree entirely with what Councillor Morrison has said [about foodbanks], it's a cruel and callous Government that's put this country in a parlous state.

"Councillor Morrison is right – we could go further. I want to consider this motion, the work we do and the lobbying of our MPs, as the start of a journey and definitely not the end.

"There's a lot more to come. This district council doesn't have the power to do an awful lot, but in the areas where we do have power, I think it's important to say we've done our bit."

He also confirmed a special 'State of Ashfield Debate' will be held in the autumn where councillors can discuss support measures with local organisations.

This is expected to take place in either September or October.

Councillor Jason Zadrozny said during Thursday's meeting: "This cannot be a motion for bells and whistles before it disappears, and it cannot just be a letter to our MPs and the Government.

"I'm committing this evening that the State of Ashfield Debate will be entirely based on the cost of living.

"We will be working with outside partners and bringing them in, to see how we can work with them to support them, and how they can do more to support our residents as we hit the winter.

"This is a major problem and one of a generation, something people don't survive in many ways, and it's going to be catastrophic for many families and pensioners."

His comments came as numerous councillors raised concerns about the impact on struggling families, with household gas and electricity bills due to surge again in October to an average of more than £3,000 per year.

Among them, was Councillor Lee Waters who represents Hucknall North for the Ashfield Independents. He told the meeting: "Residents from across Hucknall get in touch with me in their dozens to see what I can do to help them with rising bills. People can't afford Council Tax, energy bills, fuel costs and much more." 

The three Hucknall Conservative councillors – Phil Rostance, Kevin Rostance and Chris Baron – did not speak to the motion and all abstained from the vote.

However, a spokesperson for the Conservative Government told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last week: "We recognise people are struggling with rising prices.

"[This] is why we are protecting the eight million most vulnerable families with at least £1,200 of direct payments this year. All households will receive the £400 energy payments and 80 per cent will get a £150 council tax rebate.

"We are taking a balanced approach – using our fiscal firepower to provide targeted help with the cost of living while being responsible with public finances to strengthen our economy for the long-term."