The following Motions have been notified in accordance with the requirements of Council Procedure Rule 15, to be moved and seconded by the Members indicated:
(1) Motion: £22.6 billion additional funding to the NHS
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To be moved by Councillor David Perry and seconded by Councillor Simon Brown:
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“This council notes:
· For the first time in the 41-year history of the British Social Attitudes survey, less than a quarter of people are satisfied with the way the NHS is running. Satisfaction had previously peaked in 2010, when 7 out of 10 people reported being satisfied with the health service. · Overall public satisfaction with how the NHS runs now stands at 24% – a fall of 5 percentage points from the previous year. Since 2020, satisfaction has fallen by 29 percentage points. Dissatisfaction is also at an all-time high, with more than half (52%) of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with the NHS. · A study on waiting times at the end of August showed that 55% of patients in the London North-West University Healthcare trust were waiting over 18 weeks to start treatment, well above the NHS operational standard of 8%. · This study showed over 100,000 people in the local area were still waiting to start treatment at the start of August. · Despite yearly increases in NHS funding over the last 14 years, satisfaction in the NHS has steadily dropped and waiting times have increased, pointing to a lower standard of care. · As part of the new government’s first budget, buildings which are in “disrepair” will be allocated £2.5bn for upgrades as part of Labour's first budget in more than 14 years. · Chancellor Rachel Reeves also revealed that the day-to-day health budget of the service will increase by £22.6 billion.
The Council believes:
· Harrow’s NHS care services took a hit over the last 14 years, which are now being addressed with more funding from the new Labour government. · There is a back log of repair work needed on Northwick Park Hospital. · Harrow is currently experiencing a crisis in social care with more funding desperately needed to provide for the needs of an ageing population. · Action must be taken to ensure that the worrying statistics on obesity in Harrow, especially among our young population and certain demographics, are not exacerbated by a lack of funding and preventative measures being put in place.
The Council resolves to:
· Harrow Council to commend the Labour Government for standing up for our NHS. · Support the government’s plan to increase day-to-day spending in the NHS by £22.6 billion to relieve the pressures on local health services. · The Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition to collectively raise with the Health Minister the massive backlog of repairs in Northwick Park Hospital, and also funding for the council to support patients when returning home from hospital to help reduce the overall costs of healthcare, ultimately seeking our fair share of this recently announced funding. · The Leader of the Council, Leader of the Opposition and Managing Director to collectively and individually stand up for our local NHS and those services impacting the Council and argue for our fair share of funding.”
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(2) Motion: Increases to the Minimum Wage
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Motion to be moved by Councillor Graham Henson and seconded by Councillor Dan Anderson
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“This council notes:
· Since its introduction by Tony Blair’s government in 1999, the minimum wage has driven up the pay of thousands of Harrow’s lowest earners by £6,000 a year, making it the single most successful economic policy in a generation, according to a study published by the Resolution Foundation. · Harrow Council is a fully accredited London Living Wage employer having paid the London Living Wage hourly rate to its lowest paid employees since 2013, which has improved the Council’s recruitment and retention of staff. · The Resolution Foundation said analysis of the UK showed that between 1980 and 1998, hourly pay growth in the UK was twice as fast for the highest earners as it was for the lowest earners – 3.1% versus 1.4% a year. “But since 1999 this trend has reversed, and hourly pay inequality has fallen with pay growth for the lowest earners five times that seen by the highest earners – 1.6% versus 0.3 per cent per year,” it said. Therefore, because of Labour’s introduction of the minimum wage, thousands of families in Harrow have seen their standards of living improving. · Since April 2024, the UK’s minimum wage has been £11.44 for those aged over 21. But it is lower for younger workers: for example, those aged under 18 are only guaranteed £6.40 per hour.
The Council believes: · Regular increases to the minimum wage made by successive governments since its inception in 1999 shows that it is not only a successful policy that enjoys cross-party support but is the single most successful economic policy in a generation for the people of Harrow. · Increases to the minimum wage means that more people have more disposable income to spend which boosts the economy and increases growth, as well as the living standards of individuals who benefit from the rise. · Given the increased pressures of the current cost-of-living crisis, more needs to be done to support those on the lower end of the pay scale in Harrow and an increase in minimum wage is a good means of doing this while incentivising people to get into work.
The Council resolves to:
· Support the Labour government’s increase of the minimum wage to £12.21 an hour to help tackle the cost of living in Harrow and ensure that living standards improve rather than stagnate as they have done since 2008. · Commend Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s decision to uprate the minimum wage for 18–21-year-olds to £10 per hour. · Harrow Council to commend the Labour Government for standing up for low wage workers. · The Leader of the Council, Leader of the Opposition and Managing Director to collectively and individually stand up for our low wage workers in Harrow and argue for further local funding to support them through the cost-of-living crisis.”
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(3) Motion: Additional £500 million for local road maintenance
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Motion to be moved by Councillor Peymana Assad and seconded by Councillor Eden Kulig
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“This council notes:
· Potholes are a blight not only on our roads but on Harrow resident’s wallets, with drivers paying up to £460 to fix cars broken by damaged roads. · Over one and a half billion pounds has been committed by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her budget to fixing local roads. · This £500 million uplift in funding to fix local roads over the next year is an almost 50% increase on the commitment made by the previous Conservative government for the current financial year. · Current projections could see a significant amount of funding allocated to Harrow Council to fix potholes and wider maintenance. · This brings the total amount dedicated to fixing the roads in England over the next year to £1.6 billion.
The Council believes: · With this extra funding, the Labour government is set to exceed their manifesto commitment to support local authorities to fix a million more potholes a year. · This extra funding will have a positive effect on Harrow’s local economy, as residents have more money to spend, and fewer traffic incidents will hamper the flow of goods and services. · The uplift will benefit thousands of working people across Harrow who will keep hundreds of pounds in their pockets.
The Council resolves to:
· Support the Labour government’s increase of funding for road maintenance across the country, including Harrow, as it reflects that local communities are a top priority for this government. · Commend the Labour Chancellor’s decision to prioritise residents by tackling this issue early, without the dither and delay seen under previous governments.”
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(4) Motion to condemn the Labour government’s National Insurance hike
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Motion to be moved by Councillor Paul Osborn and seconded by Councillor Marilyn Ashton
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“Council notes:
· The Labour Party’s 2024 Manifesto clearly stated that if they won the election they would not increase National Insurance. · Since the General Election, the Labour government has suddenly decided to add multiple caveats to many of their promises which they didn’t clearly disclose during the election campaign. · Despite claiming their Manifesto was fully costed, the Labour government has just delivered one of the biggest tax hiking budgets in UK history with the majority of the tax hikes not having been mentioned in their Manifesto or by Labour politicians during the election campaign. · The Labour government broke their Manifesto promise by increasing the employer National Insurance contributions. · Changes to employer National Insurance contributions include a 1.2% increase and a reduction in the threshold at which employers begin paying NICs from £9,100 to £5,000 a year. · Labour politicians claim they have protected working people from tax rises. But this claim is economically illiterate, as employers will pass at least some, if not all, of the increased tax cost onto their staff by cutting wages, making redundancies or reducing/cancelling planned pay rises. · More than 200 hospitality bosses warned the sharp increases in National Insurance contributions are “unsustainable” and will lead to venues shutting down and slashing jobs within a year. · While local authorities and public sector organisations have been shielded from the employer National Insurance tax hike, the reality is that this is not true.
This Council believes: · Hitting employers with a National Insurance tax hike is wrong. · This tax hike will have a damaging effect on businesses across Harrow and will lead to redundancies as well as reduced wages. · That many hospitality businesses that struggled to survive during the Covid pandemic, and were supported by the Conservative government’s furlough scheme and business rates relief, may now be forced to close due to this tax hike. · The government’s tax hike will drive up the cost of our third-party contractors which increases the strain on the Council’s resources. · The Labour government’s claim to have inherited a £22 billion blackhole from the previous Conservative government is false and has been discredit by economists as well as the OBR who have refused to back up the figure.
This Council resolves: · To put on record our condemnation of the Labour government’s employer National Insurance tax raid. · To call on all Councillors to campaign against this damaging tax increase. · To investigate what support is available for hospitality businesses in Harrow to support them in dealing with this massive increase to their costs.”
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(5) Motion: Young Carers in Harrow
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Motion to be moved by Councillor Stephen Hickman and seconded by Councillor Hitesh Karia
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“Council notes:
This Council recognises the invaluable contribution of young carers in our community who provide essential care and support to family members or friends with long-term illnesses, disabilities, mental health challenges, or other care needs. These young carers often balance their caring responsibilities with their education and social lives, facing significant physical, emotional, and psychological pressures as a result.
Despite the critical role they play, young carers often lack the recognition, support, and opportunities for self-care that are vital to their well-being. Young people with caring responsibilities have all the challenges of being young, with all the responsibilities of being an adult, and many are left to face these challenges alone.
1 in 4 young people are Young Carers, and 1 in 3 young carers and young adult carers struggle to balance caring with learning (UK, Carers Trust Young Carer/Young Adult Carer report, 2023).
Almost 40% of young carers in England are persistently absent from education – nearly twice as high as for pupils without caring responsibilities.[1]
The Young Carers Covenant is a series of outcomes that young people from across the UK have highlighted as being key to improving their lives. Signatories pledge to take practical and meaningful action to support young carers and young adult carers so they can have the same life opportunities as other children and young people.
The Council believes:
· As noted in the recent report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers, caring can have a significant impact on young people’s short and long-term life opportunities. · The value that young carers add to the economy and also to Harrow’s community often goes unnoticed and should be considered when contemplating how we can support them better. · Caring for someone can be very isolating, worrying, and stressful. For young and young adult carers, this can negatively impact on their experiences and outcomes in education, having a lasting effect on their ability to learn and ultimately earn. · Without understanding and support from governmental institutions, those with young carer responsibilities will face significantly more hurdles than their peers when setting off into their adult life. · This council also recognises that the first step to young carers accessing support and a break from their caring responsibilities is for them to be identified at the earliest opportunity. The Council notes “No Wrong Doors for Young Carers”[2], a Memorandum of Understanding to promote whole-system working, specifically between children’s services, adult services and the Integrated Care Board as to how young carers will be identified and supported using a whole-family approach. · This Council further acknowledges that supporting young carers is not only a moral responsibility but also an investment in the future of these young people. Young carers should have the time, resources, and support they need to thrive as individuals and access education, training and employment opportunities. The Young Carers Covenant [3]is a commitment to take action to enable young carers to have a fair future. It is a series of ten outcomes which young carers have said they want to see for every young carer.
This Council resolves to: · 1. Sign up to the Young Carers Covenant and reflect this within Harrow’s local carers strategies, using it as a basis for future commissioning of support for young carers and young adult carers.
2. Ensure young carers’ education is protected, with clear signposting and wider resources so young carers are supported to balance their caring role alongside their education, and to ensure that excessive levels of care are reduced.
3. Arrange Young Carer Awareness Training for all Harrow education & social care staff. 4. Review referral data to identify groups of young carers in Harrow who are under-represented compared to our local community. This would enable them to prioritise their awareness-raising activity more effectively.
5. Seek increased funding and resources from government, partners and other organisations. to ensure the availability of breaks for young carers and young adult carers, including access to tailored local services and age-appropriate activities during respite periods. Breaks should be part of a broader package of care and support services for young carers, including mental health resources, peer support networks, and practical help with education.
6. Collaboration with local charities and organisations that support young carers, including schools and youth services, to raise awareness of the importance of identifying and supporting young carers and ensure that all young carers are aware of the options available to them.
7. Create an annual report to be presented to the Cabinet, which outlines the provision of support, including respite care for young carers in the area, identifies any gaps in service, and makes recommendations for further action.” |
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Minutes:
(i) “Council motion: Young Carers in Harrow
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Motion in the name of Councillor Stephen Hickman and seconded by Councillor Hitesh Karia
Council notes: This Council recognises the invaluable contribution of young carers in our community who provide essential care and support to family members or friends with long-term illnesses, disabilities, mental health challenges, or other care needs. These young carers often balance their caring responsibilities with their education and social lives, facing significant physical, emotional, and psychological pressures as a result.
Despite the critical role they play, young carers often lack the recognition, support, and opportunities for self-care that are vital to their well-being. Young people with caring responsibilities have all the challenges of being young, with all the responsibilities of being an adult, and many are left to face these challenges alone.
1 in 4 young people are Young Carers, and 1 in 3 young carers and young adult carers struggle to balance caring with learning (UK, Carers Trust Young Carer/Young Adult Carer report, 2023).
Almost 40% of young carers in England are persistently absent from education – nearly twice as high as for pupils without caring responsibilities.[1] The Young Carers Covenant is a series of outcomes that young people from across the UK have highlighted as being key to improving their lives. Signatories pledge to take practical and meaningful action to support young carers and young adult carers so they can have the same life opportunities as other children and young people.
The Council believes:
· As noted in the recent report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers, caring can have a significant impact on young people’s short and long-term life opportunities. · The value that young carers add to the economy and also to Harrow’s community often goes unnoticed and should be considered when contemplating how we can support them better. · Caring for someone can be very isolating, worrying, and stressful. For young and young adult carers, this can negatively impact on their experiences and outcomes in education, having a lasting effect on their ability to learn and ultimately earn. · Without understanding and support from governmental institutions, those with young carer responsibilities will face significantly more hurdles than their peers when setting off into their adult life. · This council also recognises that the first step to young carers accessing support and a break from their caring responsibilities is for them to be identified at the earliest opportunity. The Council notes “No Wrong Doors for Young Carers”[2], a Memorandum of Understanding to promote whole-system working, specifically between children’s services, adult services and the Integrated Care Board as to how young carers will be identified and supported using a whole-family approach. · This Council further acknowledges that supporting young carers is not only a moral responsibility but also an investment in the future of these young people. Young carers should have the time, resources, and support they need to thrive as individuals and access education, training and employment opportunities. The Young Carers Covenant [3]is a commitment to take action to enable young carers to have a fair future. It is a series of ten outcomes which young carers have said they want to see for every young carer.
This Council resolves to: · 1. Sign up to the Young Carers Covenant and reflect this within Harrow’s local carers strategies, using it as a basis for future commissioning of support for young carers and young adult carers.
2. Ensure young carers’ education is protected, with clear signposting and wider resources so young carers are supported to balance their caring role alongside their education, and to ensure that excessive levels of care are reduced.
3. Arrange Young Carer Awareness Training for all Harrow education & social care staff. 4. Review referral data to identify groups of young carers in Harrow who are under-represented compared to our local community. This would enable them to prioritise their awareness-raising activity more effectively.
5. Seek increased funding and resources from government, partners and other organisations. to ensure the availability of breaks for young carers and young adult carers, including access to tailored local services and age-appropriate activities during respite periods. Breaks should be part of a broader package of care and support services for young carers, including mental health resources, peer support networks, and practical help with education.
6. Collaboration with local charities and organisations that support young carers, including schools and youth services, to raise awareness of the importance of identifying and supporting young carers and ensure that all young carers are aware of the options available to them.
7. Create an annual report to be presented to the Cabinet, which outlines the provision of support, including respite care for young carers in the area, identifies any gaps in service, and makes recommendations for further action.”
3www.carers.org/youngcarerscovenant
RESOLVED unanimously: That the Motion, as set out at (i) above, be adopted.
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(ii) “ Motion to condemn the Labour government’s National Insurance hike
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Motion in the name of Councillor Paul Osborn and seconded by Councillor Marilyn Ashton
· The Labour Party’s 2024 Manifesto clearly stated that if they won the election they would not increase National Insurance. · Since the General Election, the Labour government has suddenly decided to add multiple caveats to many of their promises which they didn’t clearly disclose during the election campaign. · Despite claiming their Manifesto was fully costed, the Labour government has just delivered one of the biggest tax hiking budgets in UK history with the majority of the tax hikes not having been mentioned in their Manifesto or by Labour politicians during the election campaign. · The Labour government broke their Manifesto promise by increasing the employer National Insurance contributions. · Changes to employer National Insurance contributions include a 1.2% increase and a reduction in the threshold at which employers begin paying NICs from £9,100 to £5,000 a year. · Labour politicians claim they have protected working people from tax rises. But this claim is economically illiterate, as employers will pass at least some, if not all, of the increased tax cost onto their staff by cutting wages, making redundancies or reducing/cancelling planned pay rises. · More than 200 hospitality bosses warned the sharp increases in National Insurance contributions are “unsustainable” and will lead to venues shutting down and slashing jobs within a year. · While local authorities and public sector organisations have been shielded from the employer National Insurance tax hike, the reality is that this is not true. o All councils contract workers from private sector companies to provide Council services. In particular, adult social care workers, whose companies will likely have to increase their charges to the Council and thus diverting taxpayers money away from delivering services.
This Council believes:
· Hitting employers with a National Insurance tax hike is wrong. · This tax hike will have a damaging effect on businesses across Harrow and will lead to redundancies as well as reduced wages. · That many hospitality businesses that struggled to survive during the Covid pandemic, and were supported by the Conservative government’s furlough scheme and business rates relief, may now be forced to close due to this tax hike. · The government’s tax hike will drive up the cost of our third-party contractors which increases the strain on the Council’s resources. · The Labour government’s claim to have inherited a £22 billion blackhole from the previous Conservative government is false and has been discredit by economists as well as the OBR who have refused to back up the figure.
This Council resolves: · To put on record our condemnation of the Labour government’s employer National Insurance tax raid. · To call on all Councillors to campaign against this damaging tax increase. · To investigate what support is available for hospitality businesses in Harrow to support them in dealing with this massive increase to their costs.”
RESOLVED: That the Motion, as set out at (ii) above, be adopted.
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(iii) “Motion: £22.6 billion additional funding to the NHS
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Motion in the name of Councillor David Perry and seconded by Councillor Simon Brown
This council notes:
· For the first time in the 41-year history of the British Social Attitudes survey, less than a quarter of people are satisfied with the way the NHS is running. Satisfaction had previously peaked in 2010, when 7 out of 10 people reported being satisfied with the health service. · Overall public satisfaction with how the NHS runs now stands at 24% – a fall of 5 percentage points from the previous year. Since 2020, satisfaction has fallen by 29 percentage points. Dissatisfaction is also at an all-time high, with more than half (52%) of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with the NHS. · A study on waiting times at the end of August showed that 55% of patients in the London North-West University Healthcare trust were waiting over 18 weeks to start treatment, well above the NHS operational standard of 8%. · This study showed over 100,000 people in the local area were still waiting to start treatment at the start of August. · Despite yearly increases in NHS funding over the last 14 years, satisfaction in the NHS has steadily dropped and waiting times have increased, pointing to a lower standard of care. · As part of the new government’s first budget, buildings which are in “disrepair” will be allocated £2.5bn for upgrades as part of Labour's first budget in more than 14 years. · Chancellor Rachel Reeves also revealed that the day-to-day health budget of the service will increase by £22.6 billion.
The Council believes:
· Harrow’s NHS care services took a hit over the last 14 years, which are now being addressed with more funding from the new Labour government. · There is a back log of repair work needed on Northwick Park Hospital. · Harrow is currently experiencing a crisis in social care with more funding desperately needed to provide for the needs of an ageing population. · Action must be taken to ensure that the worrying statistics on obesity in Harrow, especially among our young population and certain demographics, are not exacerbated by a lack of funding and preventative measures being put in place.
The Council resolves to:
· Harrow Council to commend the Labour Government for standing up for our NHS. · Support the government’s plan to increase day-to-day spending in the NHS by £22.6 billion to relieve the pressures on local health services. · The Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition to collectively raise with the Health Minister the massive backlog of repairs in Northwick Park Hospital, and also funding for the council to support patients when returning home from hospital to help reduce the overall costs of healthcare, ultimately seeking our fair share of this recently announced funding. · The Leader of the Council, Leader of the Opposition and Managing Director to collectively and individually stand up for our local NHS and those services impacting the Council and argue for our fair share of funding.”
A tabled amendment in the names of Councillor Paul Osborn and Councillor Marilyn Ashton was received, put to the vote and was carried.
RESOLVED: That the Motion, as set out below, be adopted:
“This council notes:
· For the first time in the 41-year history of the British Social Attitudes survey, less than a quarter of people are satisfied with the way the NHS is running. · Overall public satisfaction with how the NHS runs now stands at 24% – a fall of 5 percentage points from the previous year. Since 2020, satisfaction has fallen by 29 percentage points. Dissatisfaction is also at an all-time high, with more than half (52%) of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with the NHS. · From 2020 to 2021 the UK was hit by the Covid-19 Pandemic, which heaped never before seen levels of pressure onto our NHS and led to a vast backlog in operations, appointments and treatments. · A study on waiting times at the end of August showed that 55% of patients in the London North-West University Healthcare trust were waiting over 18 weeks to start treatment, well above the NHS operational standard of 8%. · This study showed over 100,000 people in the local area were still waiting to start treatment at the start of August. · Conservative governments’ have delivered yearly increases in NHS funding over the last 14 years, however satisfaction in the NHS has steadily dropped and waiting times have increased, pointing to challenges the NHS faces due to worsening demographic pressures (i.e. an increasingly aging population). · As part of the new government’s first budget, buildings which are in “disrepair” will be allocated £2.5bn for upgrades as part of Labour's first budget in more than 14 years. · Chancellor Rachel Reeves also revealed that the day-to-day health budget of the service will increase by £22.6 billion.
The Council believes:
· There is a back log of repair work needed on Northwick Park Hospital. · Harrow is currently experiencing a crisis in social care with more funding desperately needed to provide for the needs of an ageing population. · Action must be taken to ensure that the worrying statistics on obesity in Harrow, especially among our young population and certain demographics, are not exacerbated by a lack of funding and preventative measures being put in place.
The Council resolves to:
· Commend both Conservative and Labour Governments for standing up for our NHS. · Support the government’s plan to increase day-to-day spending in the NHS by £22.6 billion to relieve the pressures on local health services. · Ask the Leader of the Council to raise with the Health Minister the massive backlog of repairs in Northwick Park Hospital, and also funding for the council to support patients when returning home from hospital to help reduce the overall costs of healthcare, ultimately seeking our fair share of this recently announced funding. · Ask the Leader of the Council to stand up for our local NHS and those services impacting the Council and argue for our fair share of funding.”
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(iv) “Motion: Increases to the Minimum Wage
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Motion in the name of Councillor Graham Henson and seconded by Councillor Antonio Weiss
· Since its introduction by Tony Blair’s government in 1999, the minimum wage has driven up the pay of thousands of Harrow’s lowest earners by £6,000 a year, making it the single most successful economic policy in a generation, according to a study published by the Resolution Foundation. · Harrow Council is a fully accredited London Living Wage employer having paid the London Living Wage hourly rate to its lowest paid employees since 2013, which has improved the Council’s recruitment and retention of staff. · The Resolution Foundation said analysis of the UK showed that between 1980 and 1998, hourly pay growth in the UK was twice as fast for the highest earners as it was for the lowest earners – 3.1% versus 1.4% a year. “But since 1999 this trend has reversed, and hourly pay inequality has fallen with pay growth for the lowest earners five times that seen by the highest earners – 1.6% versus 0.3 per cent per year,” it said. Therefore, because of Labour’s introduction of the minimum wage, thousands of families in Harrow have seen their standards of living improving. · Since April 2024, the UK’s minimum wage has been £11.44 for those aged over 21. But it is lower for younger workers: for example, those aged under 18 are only guaranteed £6.40 per hour. The Council believes: · Regular increases to the minimum wage made by successive governments since its inception in 1999 shows that it is not only a successful policy that enjoys cross-party support but is the single most successful economic policy in a generation for the people of Harrow. · Increases to the minimum wage means that more people have more disposable income to spend which boosts the economy and increases growth, as well as the living standards of individuals who benefit from the rise. · Given the increased pressures of the current cost-of-living crisis, more needs to be done to support those on the lower end of the pay scale in Harrow and an increase in minimum wage is a good means of doing this while incentivising people to get into work.
The Council resolves to:
· Support the Labour government’s increase of the minimum wage to £12.21 an hour to help tackle the cost of living in Harrow and ensure that living standards improve rather than stagnate as they have done since 2008. · Commend Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s decision to uprate the minimum wage for 18–21-year-olds to £10 per hour. · Harrow Council to commend the Labour Government for standing up for low wage workers. · The Leader of the Council, Leader of the Opposition and Managing Director to collectively and individually stand up for our low wage workers in Harrow and argue for further local funding to support them through the cost-of-living crisis.”
A tabled amendment in the names of Councillor Paul Osborn and Councillor Marilyn Ashton was received, put to the vote and was carried.
RESOLVED: That the Motion, as set out below, be adopted:
“This council notes:
· Since its introduction by Tony Blair’s government in 1999, the minimum wage has driven up the pay of thousands of Harrow’s lowest earners by £6,000 a year. · Harrow Council is a fully accredited London Living Wage employer having paid the London Living Wage hourly rate to its lowest paid employees since 2013, which has improved the Council’s recruitment and retention of staff. · The Resolution Foundation said analysis of the UK showed that between 1980 and 1998, hourly pay growth in the UK was twice as fast for the highest earners as it was for the lowest earners – 3.1% versus 1.4% a year. “But since 1999 this trend has reversed, and hourly pay inequality has fallen with pay growth for the lowest earners five times that seen by the highest earners – 1.6% versus 0.3 per cent per year,” it said. Therefore thousands of families in Harrow have seen their standards of living improving. · The Conservative government introduced the National Living Wage in April 2016. · Successive rises by the coalition and Conservative governments mean a full-time worker is over £9,000 better off than they would have been in 2010. · Since April 2024, the UK’s minimum wage has been £11.44 for those aged over 21. But it is lower for younger workers: for example, those aged under 18 are only guaranteed £6.40 per hour. The Council believes: · Regular increases to the minimum wage made by successive governments since its inception in 1999 shows that the policy enjoys cross-party support. · Increases to the minimum wage means that more people have more disposable income to spend which boosts the economy and increases growth, as well as the living standards of individuals who benefit from the rise. · Given the increased pressures of the current cost-of-living crisis, more needs to be done to support those on the lower end of the pay scale in Harrow and an increase in minimum wage is a good means of doing this while incentivising people to get into work. · That a balance needs to be struck so that employers are able to afford any increases, especially when they are facing increased National Insurance contributions and the threshold for National Insurance being lowered, significantly increasing employers wage bill.
The Council resolves to:
· Support this government continuing the policy of the previous government to increase of the minimum wage to help tackle the cost of living in Harrow and ensure that living standards improve. · Acknowledge the decision to uprate the minimum wage for 18–21-year-olds to £10 per hour. · Commend past and present governments for standing up for low wage workers. · Ask the Leader of the Council to stand up for our low wage workers in Harrow and argue for further local funding to support them through the cost-of-living crisis.” |
Supporting documents: