Newly elected Conservative Councillor for Longlands, Oscar Harrison is no
shrinking violet. He used his maiden speech to launch a Motion and quite a good
one if you enjoy attacks on the Labour government. One might call it
barnstorming and I was surprised to find myself, usually critical of Motions. quite enjoying it.
But then I find it difficult to find any
redeeming features in the past two years of Labour tyranny.
I
shall ignore the various footballing references
in Oscar’s speech (it was the night of the World Cup semi-final) because they went way above my head having last
watched a professional football match when Aldershot played Reading in League
Division 3 South, or whatever it was called, circa 1956.
“The new Prime Minister due to take office on Monday (today) is going to do absolutely
nothing for the people of Bexley unless they think that higher taxes are an improvement.”
“The King of the North is marching South to conquer Mercia, but how
I have absolutely no idea. Having watched everything he has said I only know
that Andy Burnham wants more nationalisation, more tax, more spending and hard
working families in Bexley will pay the bill. In truth they are already
paying it. After two years of a Labour Government and a lifetime of Sadiq Khan
at City Hall taxes are going up. If you own a car you are taxed more. Employ
people, you’ve been taxed more. Work hard, you’ve been taxed more. Run a
business, you’ve been taxed more. Pay Business Rates, you’ve guessed it. More taxes.”
“I ask Members, to what end? What have Rachel Reeves’ and Kier Starmer’s tax
rises delivered for the people of Bexley? Zilch. Zero. Diddly Squat. Without a
change of course we are creating a generation of young people who will be locked
out of the opportunities that I enjoyed just a few years ago.”
“This Government has piled job destroying measure upon job destroying measure on
local businesses. Compounded by soaring Business Rates. If they had offered
tangible benefits I might have offered grudging understanding, but they haven’t.
Apart from the Pride of Place funding for Slade Green, (£20 million over ten years) what exactly do we have to show for two years of Labour Government?”
“Bexley’s finances have taken a battering and face a significant funding gap.
In cash terms, Bexley sees a reduced level of funding despite rising demand for services.”
“The Government has taken a nonsensical approach to taxation and regulation
driving businesses to the wall and costing jobs.”
Oscar went on in similar vein for a few more minutes before the Motion was
seconded by Councillor Cafer Munur (Blendon & Penhill) who wished the new Prime
Minister well before launching a blistering attack on Nigel Farage; hoping he
would lose the by-election against Count Binface. The
relevance of his diatribe to the Motion escaped me. NFDS again.
Councillor Jeremy Fosten for Labour proposed an Amendment.
He reminded Members that three Conservative Leaders had all failed to drive
Government investment into this borough and for 14 of those 20 years “their mates were in
charge. 20 years of whining!”
“The Labour Government has an excellent record of bringing investment into
Bexley” and we now have certainty. (A three year settlement, albeit lower than
before.) “There was £11·4 million of Highways spending. Slade Green has been given
£20 million which under the previous MP got nothing. The Motion is
nonsense” and Jeremy continued with the mandatory criticism of Reform
Councillors all of whom failed to show up at Public Cabinet. “Reform and the
Conservatives are the Uni-Party in Bexley.”
The seconder was Councillor Borella who said that the Amendment is “a more
accurate portrayal of the Government than the original Motion. The Government
has made a solid start and no matter what is said by the party opposite it is all a load of nonsense.”
Councillor
Donna Briant (Erith) said that the Labour Government had provided
free school meals, protection for renters and continued with the triple locked pensions.
Both the Conservatives and Reform UK, along with Independent Dave Curtois, voted
against the Labour Amendment.
Councillor Andrew Curtois (Conservative, Sidcup) said the new Prime Minister faces a bar for
improvement which is not especially high. “Keir Starmer came to office promising
a decade of renewal and delivered a decade’s worth of stealth taxes. Rachel
Reeves told us that the finances were in a far worse state than anyone had
imagined and proceeded to make them worse.”
“The new funding formula has left Bexley worse off and we look to the new Prime
Minister to examine it again. The increase in National Insurance
contributions which we were told was absolutely not a tax on working people, but
fooled nobody has hit local businesses hard. We call on the new Prime Minister
to change course because you cannot tax your way to prosperity; a lesson
that has eluded the outgoing Chancellor entirely.”
The Mayor asked Councillor Leader David Leaf to sum up within the remaining 30 seconds
but he rambled on about football and the job destroying, tax grabbing, business bashing
Socialist Andy Burnham. After nearly two minutes the Mayor asked Councillor Leaf
to wrap up but he ignored her until just before the three minute mark.
Only the Conservatives and maybe the Independent voted for the Motion. Reform UK abstained.
Fortunately Councillor Craske’s Motion praising residents for delivering a clear and decisive electoral
Mandate on 7th May was rejected. Presumably for mathematical inaccuracy