I'm living in your head rent-free, Barton tells councillor debating tax rise

REFORM LEADER CRITICISED FOR COSTLY FREEZES IN FORMER YEARS

- By JOSEPH CONNOLLY

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE County Council leader Mick Barton told a councillor he was “living in his head rent-free” over council tax rises in Mansfield.

Mansfield District Council met on Tuesday to set its 2026-27 budget and voted for a 2.99% rise in council tax from April.

As well as his job at the county council, Councillor Barton sits on Mansfield’s council for the Maun Valley Forest Town ward.

Before joining Reform UK he was affiliated with the Mansfield Independents group, with which he led the district council from 2015-2019.

During their tenure, they froze council tax several times and at Tuesday's meeting, Conservative councillor Andre Camilleri blamed those freezes for the now-ruling Labour party having to raise council tax.

He said: “Over many years this council, going back to the days of the Independents, kept council tax low - artificially low. That wasn’t because it was sustainable, it was because it helped to win votes.

“It looked good in the short term but it stored up the real problems we are facing now.

“Costs didn’t stop rising, demand for services didn’t stop growing, yet income was deliberately held back.

“That kind of short-termism weakens finances, drains reserves and leads to today’s residents paying the price.