Labour will today (Wednesday July 17) call on Durham County Council to establish positive working relationships with the new Government.
In a motion tabled to Full Council, the group said that Labour’s “significant democratic mandate” following the General Election result represents a huge opportunity for the county.
With County Durham now represented by six Labour MPs and Kim McGuinness elected as North East Mayor in May, Labour Leader, Cllr Carl Marshall, believes the authority must strike while the iron’s hot to establish progressive relationships with Government. He said:
“I think it is vital that the Tory-led Coalition running Durham County Council works quickly and decisively to establish positive links with the new Government and Mayor.
“The results in the general and mayoral elections handed Labour an unequivocal mandate and demonstrate that County Durham residents are looking toward the future with renewed optimism, having embraced Labour’s message of change.
“Labour has been in Government less than a fortnight but already unveiled innovative plans to grow the economy, particularly with planning reform and housebuilding targets to provide the sort of homes people need and address the social housing crisis.
“With so many new and returning Labour MPs, the Council must seize this opportunity to establish and re-establish relationships with them and harness their political influence in Parliament for the good of our county.”
The Labour motion:
“This Council notes the significant democratic mandate of the new Labour Government and will work positively to align our work in order to maximise opportunities for a more prosperous future for all of our communities across County Durham.”