Council leaders hit back at Farage

Reform UK Leader, Nigel Farage has been accused of telling a “fairy story” when criticising the management of Durham County Council, writes Local Democracy Reporter Bill Edgar. 

Members of the Joint Administration in charge of the local authority – consisting of Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Independents – hit back at Mr Farage’s comments by insisting the council is well-run.

On a visit to Stanley this month, Mr Farage criticised recent council spending and slammed a council tax increase of 22 per cent in five years while racking up £409 million in debt.

He promised voters a “fresh new start” to drum up support for his party ahead of May’s local election and vowed to fix the local authority by cutting taxes and reinvesting in local services.

“Durham County Council has failed residents,” he said. “They’ve racked up eye-watering debt and squandered local people’s hard-earned cash on pointless salaries and vanity schemes.”

Speaking at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting in the wake of Mr Farage’s visit to the region, councillors praised the council’s performance in building the economy and improving job prospects for residents. 

Councillor Alan Shield said: “The evidence proves that County Durham is a well-run council contrary to the information publicised by Mr Farage that Britain is broken.

“In some areas that may be the case, but I can assure Mr Farage and everyone else that County Durham is not broken.

“County Durham has strong, clear and positive leadership and delivery in both the political and administrative arena.

“As far as Mr Farage and other political speakers are concerned, why let the truth get in the way of a good story? Or in his case a fairy story.”

The Joint Administration also blamed Mr Farage for “talking down County Durham” and claimed the council soon would be broken if Reform “got hold of it”.

During the Tuesday visit, Reform campaigners paraded a vintage Morris Minor car plastered with the party’s election campaign material criticising council spending.

“Durham suffers dangerous potholes and some of the worst roads in the North East,” it claimed.

But councillor John Shuttleworth, cabinet member for Rural Communities and Highways, told Reform to “get their facts right”.

The Weardale councillor said: “He and they need to know we are committed to repairing 90 per cent of all defects, regardless of category, within a set time.

“During quarter three we achieved the target for all defects.

“If they are bothered about County Durham they need to go into Northumberland and Cumbria because they’re a mess.

“Mr Farage and his disciples want to get their facts right and stop getting information wrong about this organisation.”