Hartlepool Labour Council Demolishes Transparency Motion in Town Hall Showdown..

Labour Group at Hartlepool Borough Council, which is losing seats to Reform UK dismisses transparency motion put forward by opposition councillors calling the move "reckless" & "dishonest"...

18th July 2025

Hartlepool’s Labour Group in charge of one of Teessides most corrupt local institutions has sparked outrage after using procedural rules to kill off a motion calling for transparency over the Council’s so-called “miraculous” financial recovery—without it even going to a vote.

The motion, backed by opposition councillors including Seaton Independent Gordon Cranney, called on Labour’s Finance Chair Brenda Harrison and senior council officials to provide clear evidence of just how the Council’s finances suddenly improved enough to allow a Council Tax freeze in 2026—just months after the very same Labour group forced through the maximum permitted Council Tax rise of 4.99% in April this year.

Rather than defend their position publicly, its claimed Labour councillors branded the opposition motion both “reckless” and “dishonest” and used constitutional rules to shut it down without debate.

Writing on social media after the meeting, Cllr Gordon Cranney independent councillor for Seaton expressed frustration, accusing Labour of stifling democracy:

“This evening, our motion was shot down before even voted on. Hartlepool Labour claimed inaccuracies and it not being serious. Labour chose not to be held accountable and decided to stop democracy. Didn’t even get to the vote, our motion was shot down for alleged inaccuracies before I even had chance to speak.”

The motion—backed by Cllrs Cranney, Young, Martin-Wells, Smith, and Buchan—was anything but trivial, with the council motion seeking answers on a critical contradiction:

• Why was a 4.99% Council Tax hike deemed essential in April, only for Labour to now claim the Council’s finances are fixed and a tax freeze is possible in 2026?

  
  

In Cllr Cranney’s prepared remarks for the chamber, he stated:

“Hartlepool Labour ran campaigns promising not a penny more in Council Tax. Yet just months after taking power, they introduced the maximum increase. Now they claim they’ve fixed the Council’s finances. If that’s true, the public should get something back. This motion calls for two things: transparency and fairness.”

Councillors who supported the motion sought a staged rebate of the 2025 increase starting this year that would also exclude councillors from receiving the rebate—"showing this was about principle, not personal benefit.” Additionally the motion asked for a full and verifiable report from the Finance Chair and senior council finance officers detailing just what actually changed between February and May to justify the shift from crisis to stability.

Labour Shuts Down – And Doubles Down

In the face of rising opposition from political parties such as Reform UK & Instead of addressing the concerns head-on, Labour yesterday quickly moved to block the motion before any debate on the issue could be raised, referring it to the councils unelected Managing Director using council procedural rules.

They then posted a statement on social media:

“At tonight’s Full Council meeting, Hartlepool Labour took decisive action to protect the 2026 Council Tax freeze - by stopping yet another dishonest and reckless motion…Their motion was based on false claims and political spin… Labour cleaned up the mess - stabilising the Council and improving services.”

Labour defended their tax freeze promise by pinning the blame on the previous Conservative administration, citing a supposed £10 million black hole they claim Labour has now resolved through “leadership at every level” — with a Labour MP, a Labour Council, and a Labour Government all working in tandem.

But opposition councillors and local campaigners are far from convinced.

Was the Freeze an Election Gimmick?

As reported earlier by HBC Exposed, internal documents suggest Council finance officers do not believe a 2026 Council Tax freeze is sustainable. Some warn that the revenue shortfall could undo years of savings and kick the financial crisis further down the road—making things worse in the long run.

Critics are now openly questioning whether Labour’s tax freeze pledge is in fact a cynical ploy to stem the loss of support to Reform UK, who this recently gained yet another councillor in a former Labour stronghold.

One opposition councillor told us:

“This is about damage control. Labour’s losing votes all over town and needed a headline. A freeze in 2026 sounds great—until the bill arrives in 2027.”

Accountability Deferred – But Not Forgotten

Despite the setback, opposition councillors say they will continue to press for answers. A source close to the group behind the motion said they’re already exploring whether the Managing Director's report can be made public and will resubmit the motion if necessary.

With Hartlepool’s financial future on the line—and the 2026 local elections looming—Labour may have dodged democratic debate last night, but it’s unlikely the issue will disappear.