Agenda and decisions

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/@committeemeetingsatleicest9269/featured

The Acting Leader gave a position statement on the following matters:

·       MTFS Position

·       Household Support Fund

·       Getting Ready for Winter

·       Bus Service Improvement Plan Funding

·       Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership.

That the Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium be approved.

That the County Council’s Pay Policy Statement 2025/26, as set out in the Appendix to the report of the Employment Committee, be approved.

Motion 1

(a)    That the proposed changes to the Constitution, as set out in the Appendix to this report, other than those which relate to Standing Orders (the Meeting Procedure Rules), be approved;

Motion 2 – Procedural Motion in accordance with Standing Order 36

(b)       That the changes to Standing Orders (The Meeting Procedure Rules), as set out in the Appendix to the report of the Constitution Committee, be approved.”

(NOTE: Standing Order 36 requires that this procedural motion, having been moved and seconded, stands adjourned until the next ordinary meeting of the Council.)

(a)  That this Council notes that:

(i)    the first Labour Budget since 2010 added £40bn additional taxation on hard working families and businesses;

(ii)  this is the largest increase in taxation in history, as independently reported by the Office for Budget Responsibility and Institute for Fiscal Studies;

(iii) the 1.2% increase in employers’ national insurance contributions to 15%, reduction in the NI threshold to £5,000 and 6.7% increase to the National Living Wage will add in the region of £20m to this Council’s costs;

(iv) cumulatively, these increases will also have a severe impact on our contractors, supply chain, our care providers and charities such as Age UK, to deliver their services locally, as much needed resources will be diverted to cover their additional costs;

(v)  the imposition of 20% Inheritance Tax duty on farm holdings over £1m will have devastating effects on many rural families, implications for food production, security and employment and what the National Farmers’ Union describes as a “Farmers Farm Tax”;

(vi) despite the government’s stated wish to drive upwards local and national economic growth, these Budget proposals will potentially have the opposite effect, dampening economic activity and increasing unemployment.

(b)  That this Council resolves to call on the government to:

(i)    reverse these massive increases in taxation and revert to their manifesto promise not to increase rates of national insurance contributions;

(ii)  reverse the Inheritance Tax changes on farms and farming families;

(iii) fully compensate local government for their additional costs;

(iv) provide adequate support to those charitable and third sector organisations mentioned in (a) (iv) above to continue to enable them to provide their essential services locally;

(c)  That this Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to inform her of its decision.

(a)      That this Council notes that:

(i)    the first Labour Budget since 2010 added £40bn additional taxation on hard working families and businesses;

(ii)   this is the largest increase in taxation in history, as independently reported by the Office for Budget Responsibility and Institute for Fiscal Studies;

(iii) the 1.2% increase in employers’ national insurance contributions to 15%, reduction in the NI threshold to £5,000 and 6.7% increase to the National Living Wage will add in the region of £20m to this Council’s costs;

(iv) cumulatively, these increases will also have a severe impact on our contractors, supply chain, our care providers and charities such as Age UK, to deliver their services locally, as much needed resources will be diverted to cover their additional costs;

(v)  the imposition of 20% Inheritance Tax duty on farm holdings over £1m will have devastating effects on many rural families, implications for food production, security and employment and what the National Farmers’ Union describes as a “Farmers Farm Tax”;

(vi) despite the government’s stated wish to drive upwards local and national economic growth, these Budget proposals will potentially have the opposite effect, dampening economic activity and increasing unemployment.

(b)  That this Council resolves to call on the government to:

(i)    reverse these massive increases in taxation and revert to their manifesto promise not to increase rates of national insurance contributions;

(ii)   reverse the Inheritance Tax changes on farms and farming families;

(iii) fully compensate local government for their additional costs;

(iv) provide adequate support to those charitable and third sector organisations mentioned in (a) (iv) above to continue to enable them to provide their essential services locally;

(c)  That this Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to inform her of its decision.