OPPOSITION Tories voted against their own cost-cutting measures to help tackle the cost of living crisis at a meeting of Full Council this week, including a proposal to close the “old, draughty” Warrington town hall building during the winter months.
Conservative Group leader Cllr. Nigel Balding made the suggestion to close the town hall, in an amendment to a motion from the controlling Labour Group calling for a reduction in the energy price cap.
In what Labour described as a “shocking turn of events”, the Tory group voted against or abstained from a motion after Labour and Lib Dems voted in favour of their amendment, which was accepted by Labour proposer Cllr Janet Henshaw.
A named vote then followed where the Conservative opposition either voted against or abstained from the measures to address the cost of living crisis. Cllr Balding followed suit and voted against the motion with his own amendments.
Labour members, along with Lib Dems, voted resoundingly in favour of the motion calling for a reduction of the energy price cap.
Cllr Bowden, Leader of the Council said: “The Tories and their leader tried to score political points by amending the motion and then refusing to vote in favour of it.
“This contrasts with Labour’s key priority. We wanted to protect the town’s most vulnerable communities at risk from spiralling energy costs.
“It makes you wonder whose interests some members have at heart. Blindly supporting their own government or their own residents.”
Cllr Mitchell, Deputy Leader of the Council added: “I hoped the Tories would have got their act together and listened to their resident’s genuine concerns.
“Instead of doing the right thing, the Tories voted against the motion calling for a reduction in the energy price cap.
“People in Warrington are desperate for more help from the Government, we need real action to support our residents.”
In response Cllr. Blading said councillors had debated a Labour motion on the cost-of-living crisis. But Labour’s motion had criticised the government for causing this crisis and claimed that the government had provided no funding to Warrington Borough Council to help residents. The motion proposed that the Leader of the Council should write to the government and local MPs asking that the level of the cap on average energy prices to be lowered by an unspecified amount.
He had proposed an amendment to the motion, seconded by Appleton Cllr Ghazala Chapman committing Warrington Borough Council itself to look for ways to strengthen its support for residents throughout the 2022-23 winter period.
The amendment included a suggestion to review all council-owned buildings, identifying those which can be made more efficient this winter to save council tax payers money.
It also called for:
A review of contingency plans to maintain essential council services in the event of power cuts;
A check to see whether WBC is providing the best advice to residents about energy-saving measures;
A review of subsidiary companies including Livewire and Culture Warrington to identify any energy savings that can be made, temporarily or permanently, and consider options to work together to provide “warm hubs” if necessary; and a suggestion to consider closing the old and draughty Town Hall for the winter months this year, moving staff to more energy-efficient Council offices.
Cllr Balding said: “Our beautiful and historic Town Hall is probably one of the most energy-wasteful buildings in Warrington, powered by a diesel generator and heated by an old gas boiler pumping hot water through Victorian plumbing.”
After cross-party support the amendment was accepted by the Labour Group.
He added that on the main motion, Conservatives pointed out that it was factually incorrect; amongst many other things the government has given £1,440,750.42 to the borough council for the Household Support fund through to March 2023. The Household Support Fund extension for the period October 2022 – March 2023 was part of wider support for families worth over £37 billion nationally in 2022-23 to help with the cost of living.
Consequently, Conservatives voted against or abstained on the full motion, but after the meeting Cllr Balding added: “I’m grateful for the cross-party support on our amendment which calls on WBC to look at five specific ideas which might help support residents. ”
“Britain is a strong country and Warrington is a resilient community so we will find a way through this crisis, and I’m urging fellow councillors to work together to support our communities through the coming winter.”
Lib Dem finance spokesperson Cllr Ian Marks said: “The people of Warrington suffer from the decisions or lack of decisions from the government.
“I won’t hold my breath waiting for changes from the actions in the motion but it is something we must do, to try and help our citizens and especially the most vulnerable cope with the crisis.”
