Hartlepool MP Breaks His Silence on Punitive £126 Council Tax Charges...
- teessidetoday
- Sep 24
- 2 min read
Hartlepool Labour MP Jonathan Brash Joins Calls for Change, After The Teesside & Durham Post Reveals Hartlepool Borough Council’s 'Disgraceful' £126 Court Fee's Being Charged to Struggling Locals.
24th Sep 2025
The Teesside & Durham Post has been at the forefront of exposing how Hartlepool Borough Council has quietly added punitive £126 court costs to the bills of struggling residents already behind on council tax. Now, after months of pressure, Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash has broken his silence — and publicly backed calls for urgent reform.
In a statement published on his official social media page yesterday (23rd September 2025), Labour MP for Hartlepool Jonathan Brash acknowledged what campaigners and local residents have been saying all along: “Council tax debt collection is broken. Too often, a harsh and outdated system drags people deeper into debt instead of helping them out.”
Earlier this year, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) chaired by Mr Brash heard evidence from anti-poverty campaigners including Thrive Teesside and Hartlepool’s own Tracey Herrington. Their testimony laid bare the devastating impact of the council tax system, where those already struggling are met not with support, but with spiralling charges and court summonses.
The £126 “court fee” has been a particular flashpoint. As the Teesside & Durham Post recently revealed, this cost is not a reflection of the actual expense of court action, but rather a blanket charge slapped onto accounts — disproportionately affecting the poorest and most vulnerable.
Brash has now joined a coalition of organisations calling for change in their joint submission to the Government’s consultation. He went further still, reiterating his long-held position:
“I believe Council Tax should be abolished altogether. But until that day comes, we must change the way it’s collected so it’s fairer, more compassionate, and doesn’t punish people who are already struggling.”
An Unfair Tax On Poverty
The MP’s comments come as a vindication of the Teesside & Durham Post’s decade long campaign, which has consistently argued that these charges amount to an unfair tax on poverty. Local people who fall into arrears are not only hit with the original debt, but also with an inflated penalty that can push them further into hardship.
Campaigners have welcomed Brash’s words, but stress that residents need more than statements — they need action. With winter bills set to rise and household budgets tighter than ever, the demand for real reform to council tax collection is growing louder.
For many in Hartlepool, the £126 court fee has become a symbol of a broken system. Thanks to relentless pressure and community campaigning, it’s finally on the national agenda.
Whether Westminster delivers the change people need remains to be seen.
