Writing to Liz Truss about financial worries would be ‘waste of time’

A proposal to write to the Prime Minister over the controversial ‘mini budget’ concerns have been shot down.

Independent Councillor Marianne Overton MBE urged contacting Liz Truss to make sure that North Kesteven wasn’t left behind.

However, the council’s leader said it would be a “waste of time” compared to other options.

The recent ‘mini budget’ by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng caused worry from financial watchdogs, but the Prime Minister said it would deliver growth.

Councillor Overton proposed the motion at Thursday’s full council meeting, saying they should highlight the impact and “the concern of our residents.”

She added: “It’s an increasingly difficult financial situation for the council. We were expecting employee salaries to rise 2%, not 6%, and inflation to rise 2%, not 10% – and who knows where the cost of fuel will end up.”

She later added: “Liz Truss used to be a councillor, and she should be prepared to listen directly. It’s important to target those who drive policy.”

North Kesteven District Council rejected the motion. | Photo: Local Democracy Reporting Service

She was backed by Councillor Peter Lundgren, who said: “It quite often seems that Lincolnshire is not thought about by Westminster.

“The whole north of England felt that at one time, but the focus has shifted more north – past Lincolnshire, sadly.

“We need to talk about how we can bring investment to North Kesteven and remind the government that we are here. North Kesteven is equally deserving as any other area in the country.”

However, leader Councillor Richard Wright said it was “nonsensical” to write to Liz Truss when it was Secretaries of State who set policy.

“Why would we waste time writing to the Prime Minister who is currently struggling with national issues? We are always promoting North Kesteven, but there are other routes to do it,” he said.

The ‘mini Budget’ promised significant tax cuts (some of which were reversed) and deregulated Investment Zones for business.

In response to calls for an Investment Zone in the district, Councillor Wright said: “All district councils are being encouraged to be part of upper tier authorities’ Investment Zone bids, and we will be engaging on that.”

He said the council was also working closely with the Local Enterprise Partnership on its key projects.

The motion was defeated by 11 votes to 25.