Broxtowe county councillors accused of 'misleading' public over Local Government Reorganisation

Coun Steve Carr (Brox Ind) and Coun Teresa Cullen (Brox All) have been written to by Coun Ethan Radford (Lab), deputy leader at the city council, over alleged breaches of the code of conduct when speaking on LGR during public meetings.

Coun Cullen’s statement, that ‘the city is not paying off its debts by working hard and earning more money – it’s selling off its assets in a fire sale’, was cited by Coun Radford as being inaccurate.

Coun Radford said that since 2021 the council has paid off £298m of its debt and money from selling assets ‘was only a minor contributor to that, our cash management has been the major contributor’.

He added: “The council’s asset disposal strategy has been in line with CIPFA guidance on disposing of assets that are surplus to our requirements, which does not constitute a fire sale.”

Responding Coun Cullen said: “In true Labour style, Coun Radford is trying to bully his critics into silence.

“Coun Radford might not like me calling their actions a fire sale, but I’m born and raised in Nottingham, and when someone is flogging assets to pay for their debts, that is exactly what we call it.”

Coun Carr’s statements – which have again been rebutted by Coun Radford – relate to the city ‘wanting’ Broxtowe Council’s housing stock, worth an estimated £750m.

Coun Carr said he would not be adding anything, except that the word ‘alleged’ should be used.

The Labour Government’s proposals for LGR would see all nine existing local authorities in Nottinghamshire abolished to create new unitary councils with a higher population of residents.

The Government says it is hoped this would streamline services, prevent overlap and save taxpayers’ money.

But Coun Radford says discussions over the most significant shake-up in local government in 50 years have been marred by factual inaccuracies.

A frequent message seen doing the rounds is that the planned reorganisation is a ‘city council takeover’ – when in fact the authority, as it operates, would cease to exist, and an election to select who sits on the new one would be required.

Coun Radford said it is just one of ‘several factual inaccuracies said during public meetings’.

As well as Couns Cullen and Carr, Coun Radford has also reported Conservative pair Coun Sam Smith and Coun Neil Clarke.

Coun Smith – the Tory group leader – has said the new city unitary authority created under LGR ‘will not be a new authority’, that the city council has been ‘bankrupt not once, but twice', that ‘Nottingham Castle is closed’, that ‘community centres and libraries are closing’, and that the city is in ‘overwhelming debt’.

These have been rebutted by Coun Radford, but Coun Smith says the ‘facts remain that Labour-run Nottingham City Council is in financial difficulty’.

Regarding statements made by Coun Clarke, Coun Radford’s letter says he was inaccurate to suggest the city council is ‘closing leisure centres’ and ‘closing libraries’.

Coun Radford said one leisure centre has closed, but no other centres or libraries have been closed.

Coun Clarke, who is also leader of Rushcliffe Council, is further cited as having said that, under LGR, money would be ‘diverted to pay off the city’s monstrous debts, which in itself will prompt an increase in council tax for those taken over’ – a claim which has been rebutted by Coun Radford.

In reply, Coun Clarke said he would not be entering a ‘ping pong match of comments’ with Coun Radford.

He added: “I would have thought he would be better placed to spend his time and energy trying to fix the broken finances of the city council and protecting services to his residents, rather than attacking financially stable councils like Rushcliffe.”

All four councillors who have been reported say they stand by their statements.

Coun Radford said: “Whatever party you’re from, honesty in public office isn’t optional, it’s a moral duty.

“If you assert something as fact you should be willing to back it up with proof, otherwise you’re just making things up and misleading people.

“These councillors have had over a month to give the facts that prove what they said is true and they haven’t.

"It’s a shame that because of that, it is now going to cost taxpayers’ money because the councillors don’t want to hold their hands up and admit they got it wrong.

"Their residents deserve better than that.

“They should come clean to residents and back up their words or retract – it’s that simple.”

Coun Mick Barton (Ref), county council leader, has also spoken out against claims that reorganisation is a ‘city council takeover’, adding: “We shouldn’t let it get messy, we shouldn’t let it get political.

“There isn’t going to be a city council, it is a nonsense, someone has got to pick the names yet.

"The city name is going – I think put it out to schools and let the kids pick it.

"They are going to be the ones here longer than me.

"I just want to make sure it is delivered properly.”