Reform backs plan to hire County Durham political assistants

The two job roles set to be created at Durham County Council will serve the two largest parties on the authority – Reform UK and Liberal Democrats. 

Reform said the assistants will help the council run effectively. 

But opposition councillors, including Liberal Democrats, Labour, Conservatives and Independents, opposed the idea. 

Reform leaders were told that using taxpayers’ money to fund party political posts is “almost impossible to justify.”

The recruits will undertake research and provide administrative support to the two parties. Reform’s political assistant will work 37 hours per week, while the Liberal Democrat representative will work on a part-time basis at 18 and a half hours. 

The two roles had been set to cost the council more than £85,000 per year before Reform backed an amendment to alter the working hours of the Lib Dem role. 

Political Assistants are politically restricted posts, except that they may speak to the public and publish information “intended to affect public support for a political party”.

Andrew Husband, council leader, told councillors: “We were elected to do things differently – for change. We are fixing a system that is designed to fail.”

Yet cross-party councillors said the money would be better spent on other services. 

Councillor Rob Crute, Labour leader, said: “We were told there is no money to maintain a safety net to protect vulnerable families struggling with rising council tax bills, yet now we’re being asked to support a proposal that is going to cost the taxpayers of County Durham £85,000 a year.

“Join us in opposing what our residents will undoubtedly see as a misuse of public money for party political purposes.”

Richard Bell, a former Conservative deputy leader of the council, added: “There’s no justification for it. In the four years of the Joint Administration, which involved four different political groups, we managed well enough.

“What message does this send to the public and our staff? We need to make economies but we can afford to waste money on political assistants.”

And Amanda Hopgood, Liberal Democrat and former council leader, accused Cllr Husband of going against his party’s initial proposal.

“This was the original proposal that was taken to the constitutional working group. They voted to get rid of the differential between the groups and said that if political assistants were to be appointed, then it would be on equal terms for every group. 

“In view of the fact that the constitution working group democratically voted to get rid of that, I find it absolutely dreadful that the leader overrides his own cabinet and members to get rid of that, who spoke actively to make them equal, that he brings this and tables it today.”

Several other councils across the country currently employ political assistants.

Darren Grimes, deputy leader, added: “We recognise that the creation of these roles is an additional financial commitment for the council, however, we consider that the appointment of a political assistant will provide the cabinet with additional resources to help deliver the objectives set out in our council plan.”