Tory-backed Reform UK tax amendment will help Doncaster residents with cost of living, deputy leader explains

Councillors representing Reform, the Conservatives and Advance UK all backed an amendment from Councillor Craig Ward, Reform UK group leader, which reduced the upcoming council tax hike from 4.99 per cent – proposed by Labour’s Mayor Ros Jones – to just two per cent.

The amendment, which included a trial period for free parking in the city centre at the request of the Conservatives, was passed with 39 votes in favour and 13 abstaining – equal to the Labour members in attendance.

Councillor Nick Allen, Conservative group deputy leader, explained the reduced council tax increase would help residents currently struggling with the cost of living crisis, leaving more money available for them than the Labour proposals.

He said: “Reform’s proposal was only a two per cent increase that obviously saves taxpayers across Doncaster an awful lot of money. That’s why we backed it really.”

Cllr Allen said his party was delighted to back the proposals as they had been calling for free parking in council city centre car parks for a number of years, adding its inclusion was a “win for us”.

He said: “More footfall into the town centre, particularly the market, that will boost our shops, local businesses. It’s much needed.

“It’s a nice win for people… I’m hoping it will boost the local economy right now. Anything to boost the local economy is important.”

He later added: “It’s saying if you come into Doncaster and you park here, we’re on your side. You get a free parking scheme available. It’s not necessarily about trying to magic up usage overnight.”

Cllr Allen also accused Labour of descending the council meeting into a “political slanging match” with repeated references to austerity measures imposed on councils during the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government from 2010.

He said: “As the mayor pointed out rightly in her opening address, between 2013 and 2023 Doncaster actually saw significant economic improvements.

“[The Mayor] can’t simultaneously take credit for those improvements without acknowledging that actually the Conservative-led coalition government that was elected in 2010 took many decisions to balance the national books.

“Although she talks about austerity, she needs to remember that in this town we saw an improvement in the jobs prospects of most people, we saw the introduction of the National Living Wage… the point is more people kept more of their own hard-earned money and, obviously, that boosted our local economy.”

The majority of Mayor Ros Jones’ budget proposals were approved during the meeting, including a £248million capital spending plan and an increase in council housing rents by 4.8 per cent.

Reform UK succeeded in its bid to impose the reduced council tax hike, which came with warnings over the council’s long-term financial risk, however, Cllr Craig Ward said he believed it was the “right thing to do”.