Jason appeared on Politics North at the weekend to discuss how Labour-run Kirklees Council are a complete shambles and that it's time to replace the failing leadership.
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Transcript
Tim Iredale
Jason McCartney, this is your council area - what reassurance can you give to people you represent that care homes won't close, that the potholes in the roads will be fixed, that leisure centres will remain operational?
Jason McCartney MP
Unfortunately, Tim, in my neck of the woods, we are suffering from a shambolic Labour run council.
The Chief Exec has left.
The Labour leader of the council was ousted.
The councillor responsible for finance was moved out of the role.
Senior directors are leaving.
A Labour councillor was jailed for perverting the course of justice.
They're wasting money, as you saw on the film. With these metals trees that cost £250,000.
Tim Iredale
You're saying this has got absolutely nothing to do with government underfunding?
Jason McCartney MP
It's about leadership.
They've they've talked about having a strategy.
Let's see the details.
We also saw on your film as well that Barnsley Council, which is Labour run, are making decisions and actually having planning and leadership.
Kirklees Labour run Council are an absolute shambles. They need to step aside or come up with a clearly costed plan and they're not doing that.
Tim Iredale
Okay, as a local MP, are you going to be banging on the Government's door asking for extra money to plug that £47 million black hole?
Jason McCartney MP
Tim what I'm doing is banging on all the doors as I've been doing all summer and trying to get new, fresh leadership in Kirklees because local people are being let down by the shambolic Labour run Council.
Tim Iredale
If we get to a situation Jason McCartney, where next year someone someone's lost a care home in that community, their mum can't be treated for dementia in a particular home because of council cuts, who are they going to blame?
Jason McCartney MP
Are they going to blame local councillors or are they going to blame the government?
It's about protecting and prioritising frontline services and not the waste.
If you gave me another 5 minutes, I'm sure Cath could do this as well. There is a whole raft of waste, unfortunately, in Kirklees.
I agree with Dan. It's about leadership.
And as we've heard from Dan as well, those Labour councillors on Kirklees who are just wanting to blame the government.
There's no blank cheque coming from any potential future Labour government.
It's about prioritising services, not wasting a quarter of a million pounds on three metal trees, not demolishing a multistorey car park and not replacing it so people can't shop in Huddersfield and create jobs and commerce and pay business rates.
It's about leadership and decision making.
And yes, times are tough.
And Cath you remember, during the coalition years, we had to restore the finances with Lib Dem Danny Alexander as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
We had to make tough decisions, but communicate with people, prioritise those frontline servicesand work together as a team.
There's no magic wand here.
