The political parties in North Northants answer our local election questions
Read on to find out how the different parties would change things if they win power next week
Ahead of next Thursday’s local elections we asked the main political parties what the key issues were for them. Following on from Tuesday’s post about the West, today we have the answers for the North Northamptonshire Council elections.
Liberal Democrats, as answered by Chris Stanbra, North Northants lead organiser and candidate
‘People are very angry with the two old parties.’
What do you see as the most important issue in these elections?
Housing. Getting the council building council houses and also bungalows for elderly people and getting developers to build already permitted developments. These actions would alleviate the housing crisis and boost the local economy.
What is the major concern you are hearing on the doorsteps?
The total disillusionment with Conservatives and Labour. Time and time again we hear "well, I'm not voting Labour and I'm not voting Conservative". People are very angry with the two old parties.
How would you remedy the poor condition of the roads?
By getting the council to spend some of the £120million it has in reserves to bring up the standard of our roads (and pavements) and by ensuring the council gets value for money from the highways contract with Kier. Long term, bring the highways contract back in house.
How would you tackle the climate crisis?
By taking local action such as tree planting, putting microgeneration (most likely mainly solar panels) on council owned buildings and on council houses. Enable community groups and local charities to undertake green measures (e.g. solar panels). Investigate actions the council could take to reduce school run traffic. Ensure the council delivers its net zero targets.
Does local government funding need reform?
Yes it does, the current model of local government finance is unsustainable. Councils are being starved of funds on three fronts; reduction in government grant, the relentless increase in statutory responsibilities being loaded onto councils by government without the necessary financial resources and the cap on council tax increases. This can't go on without more council bankruptcies.
If you win control of the authority what changes would residents see?
A big increase in council house building; a council that invests council tax payers money for the benefit of local residents instead of keeping reserves artificially high; action to tackle the climate emergency; improved quality of life and wellbeing for local people especially with reference to SEND services, mental health services and youth services; an increased council presence in rural areas; an efficient, well run, effective housing department; a renewed partnership with the third sector and with Town and Parish Councils; real action to bring overspends in Childrens Services to an end; action to help people leave hospital in a timely manner so they can go home or into a suitable care setting. I could go on....
Green Party responses from leader of the Green Party group on NNC Emily Fedorowycz
‘We need a serious change to how we manage things; business as usual has led us to this crisis and now we need a smart, focused plan to pull us out of this mess.’
What do you see as the most important issue in these elections?
Finances are the key issue: Urgently helping people, and meaningfully, with the cost of living and making public money go a lot further. We are seeing so much financial waste from our council, and that means that money is not going where it should be or being used effectively. One example is the disgraceful mishandling of the library: the council failed to protect the building while it waited for the roof to be fixed, resulting in an additional £2m of damage. That’s £2m more that local people now have to cover. Kettering deserves better.
The current Green councillors have flagged inefficiencies in multiple areas over the last four years. This has been ignored – procurement, home to school transport, fines – areas are in runaway overspend such as Children’s Services, and the Conservatives are not tackling this head on, and opportunities to create funding that we desperately need have been squandered. This mismanagement means we don't have the money for the things that matter to people’s everyday lives – fixing potholes, keeping our streets clean, revitalising our town centres – and people are being hit with higher taxes and additional unnecessary fees such as the waste charge, at a time when we can least afford it.
We need a serious change to how we manage things; business as usual has led us to this crisis and now we need a smart, focused plan to pull us out of this mess. Any other party is just going to be more of the same; we are the only ones who bring a genuinely fresh, focused approach.
What is the major concern you are hearing on the doorsteps?
Residents are deeply worried about local service, particularly in education, health and care, but they also are fed up with the state of our towns. The roads are in disrepair, our town centres lack investment, trees aren’t cut back, and litter and flytipping are taking over.
Everything feels underfunded and meanwhile people are paying more tax than ever before. If people saw their council tax making a difference to services in their local area, it would at least mean the increase gave something back, but people just feel completely let down and they are losing hope that things will ever get any better.
We haven’t funded any of our services properly for decades. Previous Conservative Governments cut local authority budgets and had 14 years to improve things but all we’ve seen are more cuts, Labour isn’t doing anything different, and multi-millionaires like Farage want to privatise the NHS, so he will put a complete end to public healthcare, something that is so valued by British people.
The Green Party nationally proposes real investment of 30% into our NHS, funded by a 1% tax on the richest 1%. The inadequate 1% funding increase proposed by Labour and Conservative is not enough. This would ensure there is a clear and costed plan to ensure our hospitals and healthcare services actually get the funding they need, alongside education, care and the services that impact people every day.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision is woefully underfunded. Access to GP’s and NHS dentists is becoming harder and harder. Now PIP and pension payments are being cut, pushing the most vulnerable people into poverty. Investment and stability is urgent. Where will the money come from? Only the Greens have a clear answer.
How would you remedy the poor condition of the roads?
The state of our roads is a visible sign of years of under investment and mismanagement. We would prioritise a planned maintenance approach, not just reactive pothole-filling. That means investing in preventative resurfacing work for our roads and footpaths, because it’s more cost-effective long-term and better for everyone’s safety. We’d also push for more sustainable, low-impact materials and technologies in resurfacing; more investment in buses to reduce the reliance on cars and reduce congestion and air pollution; and ensure that cycling and walking routes are invested in to improve the transport options available to people.
To ensure that we can fix potholes at pace, we first have to make our existing money go further, which means hiring local contractors and streamlining middle management. Next we need sustainable funding.
Without question we need more funding from central government to tackle this issue, but we cannot rely on this. We are a logistics hub in Northamptonshire, and the high number of HGVs and heavy vehicles degrade our roads faster, so we need to think creatively about how those companies can contribute to the upkeep of the roads. Other councils like Nottingham have had excellent success running innovative schemes and their transport infrastructure is now state of the art. We should be learning from others and replicating their successes.
How would you tackle the climate crisis?
The two biggest causes of carbon emissions are transport and energy and both areas are also amazing opportunities to improve people’s quality of life. Poor home insulation means housing that is not fit to live in, and energy bills that are unaffordable, so offering support for people to get cheap renewable energy and insulating their homes will cut bills fast meaning people don’t have to choose between heating and eating.
People have spoken for years about solar on warehouse rooftops and on new housing developments, but new houses are still being built without rooftop solar and gas boilers instead of heat pumps. Retrofitting houses with these energy efficient technologies could cost homeowners thousands in the future. Building properly first time, and ensuring planning policy is firm but fair on developers is key, and this year is critical for setting out these policies.
Transport is a huge opportunity to invest in our road and cycling infrastructure, and improve our bus services, both of which local people have identified as vitally important.
Flooding is an issue that is already affecting large parts of our area and will only get worse. Our councillors are looking at other flooding mitigation work across the UK and are investigating how we can replicate successes with nature based flood defences.
Farmers need substantially more support and we would amplify their voice to fight for what they need from the national government, whilst also helping them cut costs and diversify income streams.
Finally, we would ensure the council’s climate change team is properly resourced and accountable. Responsibility for work has been passed around, this team has been reorganised and cut multiple times, and work has dropped off the radar. The council’s commitment to this work has not been focused or consistent, and it has meant we have lost out on funding opportunities, at great detriment to local people.
Does local government funding need reform?
Yes, without question. Local councils have been asked to do more and more with less and less. The current funding model is broken, especially for towns like Kettering. We need a fairer system that doesn’t leave councils scrambling to patch up holes while essential services collapse. Westminster offers grants for essential improvements so local councils have to fight to get funding that should be offered to everyone and then it’s potluck if you get the money and your area is improved or left behind. It’s time for Westminster to stop passing the buck and start giving local authorities the funding – and the freedom – they need to meet local people’s needs.
In the meantime, we can look at what we can impact as a local council. The reality is that the cost for everything is going up, and that means for councils too. Most of our budget is spent on children’s services and adult social care, which are both vital. What that means though is less budget for other things, unless we make some smart savings or generate funding - we propose both are needed, urgently.
If you win control of the authority what changes would residents see?
The changes residents would see would be immediate. People need to see a visible improvement to their area to start to see that things can get better. We have to build momentum for real change and give people hope again - because we need people on board to make that change. This would be the first urgent step that we would take to restore the faith and re-energize our communities.
People need to know that they have been listened to, so one aspect is to realign funding priorities to fix potholes quickly and tidy up our towns, but we would also roll back unfair decisions that completely ignored public consultation, such as the garden waste fees. Making a quick impact on visual elements as well as some things that will immediately help people, like easing cost of living, is critical in the first few months.
Our priority then is to make sure that people feel heard all the time, not just at election time, with public forums and workshops where people can help shape local solutions. We have already held some forums like this in Kettering which have been a huge success, and local people are making a huge difference by being part of the change.
We want people to be part of decisions; to shape them and drive them. We’d bring transparency to council decisions, put local people first—not private profit—and take climate, public health and inequality seriously. You’d see real investment in local services, in cleaner and safer streets, in schools, health care, and proper SEND provision. You’d see support for small businesses and local high streets. You’d see neighbourhoods with more character, art and greenery, better transport links, and cleaner air. Above all, you’d see a council that actually listens and cares – and works with local people to deliver what they want to see.
Labour Party, answered by leader of the group at North Northamptonshire Council, Matt Keane
‘This is a once in a generation chance to change direction or we will end up with more of the same’
What do you see as the most important issue in these elections?
I see our direction as a council as the most important issue. It might not be the most obvious issue, but the Conservatives have run local government here for 23 years. They had Kettering and Wellingborough boroughs since 2003 and the county since 2005. Since then, we have seen dramatic service cuts, no foresight on looming financial pressures, they have been reactionary rather than preventative and whoever takes charge will inherit debts and crumbling infrastructure.
They have not listened to residents and the big elephant in the room is they bankrupted the county and got away with it whilst working people suffered. This is a once in a generation chance to change direction or we will end up with more of the same.
What is the major concern you are hearing on the doorsteps?
The housing crisis comes up a lot in my ward, young people can’t get affordable housing and those in social housing have had issues with repairs. There are 6,000 people across NNC on housing lists and NNC has done nothing about it.
A common theme across all the areas is that people are really concerned about crime and anti-Social behaviour. All the main towns and many rural areas have all had high profile incidents recently and we have had a decline in community safety schemes and police station closures. If we win in May, we will build council housing and work with the government and the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner to reopen police stations, improve neighbourhood policing and have hot spot patrols in high crime areas – plus we will tackle illegal e-scooters and off-road bikes.
How would you remedy the poor condition of the roads?
The Tories have been responsible for Northamptonshire’s roads since 2005. That’s 20 years of neglect and our residents can see it. This is something that comes up on every door. The multimillion-pound highways contract was given without proper scrutiny. I don’t think it’s been properly managed. I can’t see how they can be hitting targets when our roads are literally crumbling in the rain.
So, if we do take control we will make sure that public money is being spent correctly and scrutinise the work that the contractor does. We will also use some of the millions of extra money the government has granted us to invest in technology to fix potholes more quickly. I have already held meetings with JCB and want to look at trailing the technology. We will be inheriting a broken road infrastructure. It’s absolutely scandalous how many Tory pot holes there are on Northamptonshire’s roads.
It’s going to take a lot of time to fix this, but it’s such an important issue for our residents. We will act and not let our roads fall into the state the Torys have left us in.
How would you tackle the climate crisis?
There is a climate emergency and we need to take action. We have tried in opposition to make a difference, such as putting in amendments at recent budgets to upgrade boilers in social housing to make our housing stock more energy efficient. This would also help our tenants with household bills. But the Tories in charge have voted them down and ignored them. If we win the council on 1st May, we will improve public transport links in NNC.
A future devolution deal could unlock so much opportunity in our transport infrastructure. We will also look at opposing things like the Shelton Road incinerator in Corby. Our EV charging infrastructure is also something we will be looking at. As we move into a greener economy, we need to make sure that Northamptonshire is not left behind.
Does local government funding need reform?
The last Conservative government cut local councils to the bone. I am pleased to see Labour plans to introduce multi-year funding settlements for local authorities. This marks the first such initiative in a decade, aiming to provide councils with the financial certainty needed for effective long-term planning and investment. Also, the bold plans that the devolution agenda has could unlock billions into our regions to kickstart economic growth.
If you win control of the authority what changes would residents see?
Better roads, more housing and action on anti-social behaviour. NNC has had so many missed opportunities, they have not listened to any consultation, our towns and village are very different. If we win, we will fix the council’s foundations and make sure the council works for you.
A huge improvement needs to be made in customer service and service delivery. We need to truly be one council and work together. The Tories have made us compete, choosing between services for Corby or Kettering or Wellingborough. We will make sure we work together. I saw Corby transform in the 2000s because it took advantage of having a Labour council work with its Labour MP under a Labour Government. Now after 14 years, we finally have Labour MPs and a Labour government working for North Northamptonshire.
We need that Labour council to complete the puzzle and get things done. You only have to look at our Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone, working with Corby and East Northamptonshire MP Lee Barron. We already have a commitment to reopen police stations in Corby and Kettering. Working together to get things done in the interest of our residents would be the change you will see.
Reform UK, as answered by the group leader on NNC, Martin Griffiths
What do you see as the most important issue in these elections?
Fixing local government in Northamptonshire.
What is the major concern you are hearing on the doors?
The level of council tax, with five successive increases by the maximum amount permitted in five years.
How would you remedy the poor condition of the roads?
Renegotiate the Kier contract
Fully audit the councils spend on highways
Scrutinise the contractor’s performance.
How would you tackle the climate crisis?
Reform UK will stop funding wasteful net zero initiatives and redirect that money to improving local services including SEND and adult social care.
Does local government funding need reform?
Yes. Reform of governmental funding for councils and Reform UK controlling North Northamptonshire Council.
If you win control of the authority what changes would residents see?
Value for money services with less waste
Transformation of front line services
A visionary approach to improving our town centres
Improved public transport.
The Conservative group in North Northants was asked for comment, but had not responded at time of publication.
All these promises will cost an enormous amount of money that isn’t available.
People can’t afford more rises in council tax or other cost of living rises.
We are scared of not being able to afford to simply live.
Fixing the problems is not simple and empty promises mean nothing to people who have been cheated and walked over for so many years.
Party politics are over!
We need a body that caters for all people bringing everyone together and accountable for success or got rid of if the fail to deliver progress in the areas that need massive overhaul
But I see nothing from the Conservatives.