Derbyshire councillors told to ‘put their bottom lips away’ in cost of living row

A motion put forward by Labour’s Councillor Ruth George calling for Derbyshire County Council to ‘declare a cost of living crisis in Derbyshire’ and create a joined-up strategy to address it was met with disdain from Conservative leadership, who saw it as dismissing the work already being done.

In the meeting on Wednesday, November 2, she said: “The cost of living crisis isn’t just affecting people on benefits, it’s affecting the majority of people now across the country and across Derbyshire.”

Coun George added that while there was support available in Derbyshire, it was ‘piecemeal’ and needed to be more coordinated.

Immediately proposing amendments to the motion, Tory Councillor Gary Hickton commented: “In the 60s, the Wilson movement, we had no central heating, I remember my mother saying ‘that’s luxury’.”

The extensive amendments called for ‘recognition of the international and national cost of living crisis’ and the ‘continued’ support of those in need.

It included a list of steps already taken by the council including £100k to Foundation Derbyshire for foodbanks, £50k for warm spaces, £54k for the Winter Rough Sleeping project and an additional £80k to health partnerships to provide cost of living support.

Opposition members reacted with surprise and anger at the changes, with Liberal Democrat Councillor Barry Bingham accusing the Tories of being ‘pedantic’, while Lib Dem leader Councillor Ed Fordham pointed out the reduction in funding to local government over the years, and accused the Conservative Government of ‘levelling up because they’d ground it down’.

“This amendment might be a list of what the county council has done, but it’s in the face of what the Government has enabled to happen,” he stated.

Labour member Councillor Jean Innes stated that the collective measures being taken by the county council in the amendment worked out at less than £1 per person.

Tory Councillor Alex Dale commented that he was amazed that the opposition was getting its ‘collective knickers in a twist’ over the fact that they had not declared a cost of living crisis in Derbyshire.

“It doesn’t make any difference whether we declare one or not, it’s blatantly obvious to everyone,” he stated.

He continued that there was a ‘huge amount of partnership working’ going on to address the issue, both between councils and the voluntary sector.

Coun Dale said: “I think we will do our residents no service whatsoever if we overextend ourselves, overextend the support that’s available and end up putting front-line services that our residents rely on at risk.”

While deputy leader Councillor Simon Spencer told the opposition to ‘put their bottom lips away’, commenting that there was no ‘magic money tree’.

“We’ve got things that are being delivered in reality, they’re not fictional motions, they are not little mandates to say we recognise there’s a problem but we haven’t got a solution,” he declared.

Summing up Coun George condemned the comments made as ‘despicable’.

The amended motion was passed by the majority of members.