Opinion: MP's post is a misleading smokescreen to disguise Tory mismanagement

Coun Ben Bradley's post, which has been called 'misleading'.

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A post by Coun Ben Bradley, Mansfield MP, to his 25,000 followers on Facebook, regarding Mansfield Council’s plan to freeze council tax, is misleading and shows he doesn't even understand the makeup of the residents in his own district, writes Andy Abrahams, Mansfield Labour group leader and mayor.

We would like Mansfield residents to compare the Labour administration’s record to help them during the cost-of-living crisis against that of the Conservative-controlled Nottinghamshire Council under Coun Bradley’s leadership.

In last year's 2021/22 budget, we were already acutely aware how difficult it is going to be for our residents to get through this looming cost of living crisis, so we took steps to help out by freezing Mansfield Council’s portion of the council tax.

We also put in additional funding to strengthen our council tax hardship support scheme for our vulnerable residents and we took a 10% cut in Councillor's special responsibility allowances to share the financial burden to balance a £1.3 million deficit in the budget.

Back in February, I wrote to Coun Bradley, as county council leader, asking him to follow our example and cancel the 3 per cent, £64.24, proposed precept for social care and the 1 per cent precept for road maintenance.

I also requested that the Conservative police and crime commissioner did not apply the £10 precept for the 2021/22 financial year.

Needless to say both ignored my request and raised council tax.

Due to the unprecedented rise in inflation and energy prices, we are proud we are doing what we can to help all our residents by freezing Mansfield's portion of the Council Tax again for 22/23.

We have also visited the most vulnerable districts to give help and advice with our cost-of-living roadshow.

We have brought the following partnership together to offer help and advice to all our residents in need: Mansfield Council health and wellbeing, housing, private sector housing, financial inclusion officer, Mansfield Museum, Credit Union, Inspire, benefits teams, Age UK, the Department for Work & Pensions, Direct Help & Advice, Insight Healthcare and Severn Trent.

We have signed many more residents to our Food clubs and attracted additional funding to help them witheir dwindling supplies and set up 17 warm rooms across the district.

Instead of criticising the Labour administration's effort's over the last two years, I suggest the county's leader concentrates on his own reported £28.3m budget shortfall, so they can reduce to a minimum how much more money they intend to take out of Mansfield's residents pockets when they decide on how much council tax they set and also answer why Nottinghamshire Council voted against allowing its buildings to be used as ‘warm rooms’ to help, which is shameful?

His comment’s on the rise in social rent, which is also set by this Conservative Government deliberately to deflect blame onto local councils, is also misleading as the council will also have to make up the deficit because of ‘out-of-control’ inflation. Also for the record, the most vulnerable in our district will be protected from these rent increases.

Coun Bradley’s post is a misleading smokescreen to disguise the Conservative's total mismanagement of the county's finances and how they have done nothing to help the county's and Mansfield’s residents with the cost-of-living crisis.