Police officer moonlit as Just Eat driver while on sick leave
Plus: Farmer revolt and Labour and Tory MPs on how the budget affects Lancashire
Hello and welcome to the 66th edition of The Lancashire Lead. Today’s issue is a Budget special looking at the impact of Wednesday’s announcements and the reaction they’ve received across Lancashire.
As well as hearing from farmers who have been outraged by changes to their inheritance tax rules, read on to see the reactions of MPs from across the political divide - Labour’s Lizzie Collinge and Andrew Snowden, the county’s only Tory MP, sharee their thoughts directly with Lancashire Lead readers.
I’ve also got major Eden Project Morecambe news to share along with a look at the Preston restaurant which is celebrating a rave review in The Times. Paying subscribers also have access to the budget reaction of myself and The Lead editors Luke Beardsworth and Ed Walker.
Before all that though, I’ve got the story previewed in last week’s edition of a police constable who was caught moonlighting as a delivery driver while on sick leave from the force.
On Wednesday, I spent some time at Ormskirk Police Station to cover the misconduct hearing of former PC Dean White. White had technically been a Lancashire Constabulary officer until the day before, having offered his resignation during the investigation process and that coming into effect as of October 30.
White found himself in trouble while on sick leave from the force when, on January 22, 2023, he was spotted working as a delivery driver for Just Eat. The matter was reported to the force’s Professional Standards Department (PSD) and in May of that year he was served with a notice of investigation.
Chief Constable Sacha Hatchett told the hearing that White’s written response explained he had borrowed money from a chef at a takeaway and had helped out driving during busy periods. He said he received no payment but did receive money for petrol.
As well as working elsewhere during his sick leave, the misconduct charges included failing to declare the business interest of helping the takeaway. During the investigation, it was found he had another business interest which involved working as a caddy at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.
This had been approved by his employer in 2019 but it was decided it must be suspended pending the outcome of this investigation. As a result, White was directly ordered to cease his work at the golf club.
However, he was then observed working there on “several occasions” over a two month and he was served with another notice of investigation in December 2023.
White initially denied a breach of standards and carrying out gross misconduct in relation to the caddying work but later offered his resignation from the force. He did not attend the hearing and informed the force that he did not wish to be represented or submit any further evidence to be considered.
Ruling that White would have been sacked had he not already quit, Ch Con Hatchett explained that such actions undermine public confidence in policing. The disgraced officer was also banned from any future work in policing.
Moving onto the budget, there were plenty of announcements which attracted headlines this week, notably changes to employer national insurance contributions, the rise in minimum wage, the bus fare cap rising from £2 to £3 and yet another freeze on fuel duty.
The Lead’s national title has taken a closer look at the decisions announced Chancellor Rachel Reeves - you can check that out here. For now, I’m going to focus on one issue which has caused a great deal of upset among Lancashire’s rural communities.
In the budget, it was announced that agricultural property relief (APR) would now apply with a reduced threshold. What that effectively means is that farmers passing on their land and business to the children after death will pay more tax if the value is greater than £1m.
Among those expressing outrage were celebrity farmer/broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson who said farmers had been “shafted”. Meanwhile former Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans described it as a “tax raid” which would “break up many farms and destroy any future for youngsters wanting to be farmers”.
Speaking to The Lancashire Lead, dairy farmer Phil Halhead warned the worries for farmers stretched far further. Phil, who runs a family farm in Cockerham near Lancaster, described the budget as “anti-business, anti-agriculture, anti-food security” and said he expected plenty of opposition and challenges to the proposed changes. He said:
“The APR issues is a massive one. The reason it’s huge is the farming community is at an all time low. In 1994, there were 34,500 dairy farmers in the UK. Now, it’s 6,500.
“Margins are skinny, there’s more people to feed around the world and a burgeoning UK population. We saw during Covid that supermarkets were empty, there’s still the Ukraine war affecting things.
“What we needed, whatever your political stripes are, was a budget that got us through all of this. Instead, this has the potential to be absolutely disastrous.”
Phil said that the current situation means there are fewer farmers trying to produce more food while operating at tighter margins and deal with environmental issues and that more support is needed. He also warned that the national insurance changes will leave employers working out how to reduce staffing levels in order to survive.
On the issue of APR, he said it risks leading farmers to reduce investment and consider selling up family businesses.
“Most farmers are barely getting by with a living wage but they have been able to do is hand on that farm to the next generation. We’re just custodians of the countryside and that APR allowed farmers to pass it down.”
It’s important to note that not everyone is convinced the change is catastrophic or will cause as wide-ranging impacts as many have made out. Dan Neidle, a former tax laywer and founder of think tank Tax Policy Associates, pointed out that the changes are likely to affect around 500 farms each year and that the tax only applies to value above the threshold, not the entire amount.
And for these, there is still a £325,000 allowance on property - as for the rest of the population - which means the threshold is actually £1.325m. Meanwhile married farmers are able to pass that amount to their spouse, meaning the total untaxed amount is potentially as high as £2.65m.
After the General Election, I was delighted to have new Lancashire MPs write for readers of The Lancashire Lead. And today, Fylde MP Andrew Snowden and Morecambe and Lunesdale's Lizzie Collinge return to share their thoughts on the Budget announcements. Here’s what they wanted to share with you.
Broken promises and betrayal
By Andrew Snowden, Conservative MP for Fylde
This Halloween budget is all tricks and no treats. It was filled with broken promises
The Chancellor tried to conjure up a £22 billion fiscal black hole but even her own Office for Budget Responsibility could only find ‘£9 billion of in-year pressures’ which would have been absorbed and offset by other savings. Given this was all used to justify tax rises of £40 billion, something there is clearly something very spooky in her sums.
The £25 billion increase in National Insurance Contributions from employers will hit working people directly, a direct betrayal of Labour’s manifesto commitment. Jobs will be put at risk as companies now have to make tough choices between reducing the wage budget or passing higher costs onto consumers. In beautiful coastal areas like Fylde we rely heavily on the tourist industry, and hospitality businesses will suffer with a massively inflated cost of paying staff.
And in a rural constituency like mine, this budget is throwing our farming communities on the bonfire. The broken promise on Agricultural Property Relief could end family farms as we know them, making it incredibly difficult to pass farmland from one generation to the next. Consumers will feel the impact of this as the cost of food production rises, leading to a double blow for working families.
Earlier this year, the Labour Party promised the British public over 50 times that they had no plans to raise taxes on working people. Yet here we are - with a budget that takes more from nearly every corner of our community. If you’re an entrepreneur, if you run a small business, a family farm, or if you’re a pensioner, you’ll feel the impact. Even basic services, like taking the bus, are going to cost more.
This has been budget of broken promises. And I fear it will be Fylde residents who pay the price.
Labour plotting road to recovery
By Lizzie Collinge, Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale
This week's budget is a clear display of the Labour Government’s promise to fix the foundations of this country. This budget encourages the creation of wealth and opportunity, following 14 years of austerity and a Conservative government that crashed the economy and broke our public services. Locally we have had confirmation that the final £50m for Eden Project Morecambe is secure and the project will go ahead. To see this in black and white is so exciting after many years of work by local partners.
Nationally, I am pleased to see that working people won’t face higher taxes in their payslips, and this protection of working people is demonstrated in the minimum wage rises announced today. The Budget also commits to support our country’s public services, with £6.7bn for schools and a £22.6bn injection into the day-to-day health budget.
I am particularly happy that the chancellor has listened and taken action on what is most needed regarding vulnerable populations. I am especially pleased to see the £1bn committed to SEND funding, as this is an area which so desperately needs more financial support and reform to ensure timely help. The increases to the Carers Allowance weekly earnings limit are also welcome, as this is something I am aware many of my constituents will feel the benefit of.
This budget has confirmed there will be no return to austerity, and that this Labour Government is working to rebuild Britain through growth and economic stability; this government will not play fast and loose with public finances. What I have heard today is a balanced budget that will positively impact my constituents and provide economic stability and public service improvement for many years to come.
One big update which has received little publicity is confirmation that Nelson will receive £20m of funding for a range of public improvements.
Robbie MacDonald reports that money had been announced by Michael Gove in the final months of the previous Government. But the Nelson Long Term Town Plan Board’s work was paused earlier this autumn, when the new Labour government reviewed various funding plans drawn-up in final months of the old government.
In a statement this week, Pendle MP Jonathan Hinder said there was ‘good news’ with the chancellor announcing funding for the Long-Term Plan for Towns, as part of her budget. He said:
“In July, I was elected to deliver the priorities of people in Pendle and Clitheroe in parliament. I am pleased to see Rachel Reeves providing £20million for Nelson. This investment will revitalise Nelson, supporting local jobs, businesses and community projects. I look forward to working with local leaders to ensure it is used to good effect.
“Nationally, the Long-Term Plan for Towns will support 55 towns over the next ten years to provide longer-term certainty and scale to drive improvements based on local knowledge and the priorities of local people.”
He added:
“This project was put at risk due to the unfunded spending commitments of the last government. But the Labour government has confirmed that they will be providing the money.”
🏥 The leader of Preston City Council has revealed he has been seriously ill in recent weeks (Blog Preston).
🧑⚖️ A metal detectorist who tried to illegally sell Viking coins has lot an appeal to have his jail sentence reduced (Burnley Express).
👑 Details of how the Royal Family earns millions of pounds from land in Lancashire have been made public (Times, £).
👩⚕️ A nurse who has terminal cancer has married her partner at Royal Preston Hospital’s chapel (Blog Preston).
🚨 A man was injured and properties evacuated following an explosion in Preston (Blog Preston).
As mentioned is Lizzie’s piece, the Budget came with the all important news that the Government is following through on the promise of £50m funding for Eden Project Morecambe.
After remaining oddly tight lipped and refusing to confirm the previous Government’s pledge would be maintained, the news was finally announced on Wednesday. That will hopefully end any uncertainty surrounding a development which is set to provide a major influx of visitors, jobs and wider investment into the seaside town.
In a joint statement reacting to the news, Eden Project, Lancaster City Council, Lancaster University and Lancashire County Council said:
“We are delighted that the government has confirmed the original £50m commitment to Eden Project Morecambe.
"While there is still a process to go through to confirm the final details of this, this is a major milestone in this dynamic project, a very significant step forward in delivering this project which will do so much for Morecambe, Lancashire, and the wider region.
"All of the partners are working hard to bring this transformational project together, and it's thanks to everyone's hard work, vision and determination that we're in this position.
"We are hopeful for final confirmation of the government investment shortly and aim to provide further updates on the full funding package and delivery plans for the site."
Today’s recommendation comes not from me but instead from The Times which published a glowing 1,400 word review of one of the county’s restaurants. From here, you may be expecting me to mention words such as Northcote or Moor Hall but instead it’s over to Preston and Aven.
The intimate find-dining spot in the city centre received glowing praise with a near-perfect 9.67 score for impressive lunch offering. You can read the full (paywalled) review on The Times, while this line sums it up quite nicely:
But this was top, top cooking. These are supremely gifted and thoughtful chefs. This is proper northern hospitality: original, modern, sleek — no foie gras, caviar, lobster, airs or graces. It is serving mostly locals (or was when I was there) who won’t put up with the sort of frilly nonsense and piss-take pricing we grudgingly accept in London. I loved it. You will too. Go on, book an advance return, take a walk in the park, make a day of it.
Naturally, the praise has been warmly welcomed by those at the restaurant. Head chef Sean Wrest said:
“For us, getting such high praise from Giles Coren is beyond exciting. This recognition is a testament to our amazing team, our local suppliers, and the loyal community who have supported us from the beginning. We want every guest to feel the magic of what Lancashire has to offer.”
Co owners Oli Martin and Alex Blamire are now expecting a rise in booking after the glowing review but said the recognition should be felt beyond just the restaurant. They said:
“Seeing Aven recognized on a national scale is really special. It’s more than just a win for us—it’s a win for fine dining restaurants across the UK as well as Preston’s food scene and all the passionate local producers we work with.
“Despite the challenges facing restaurants today, we’re excited to keep bringing something extraordinary to our guests.”
As ever, there’s a few What’s On stories which have caught my eye over the last week:
New book raises a glass to the rich history of pubs in Chorley
Award-winning Italian ice cream firm to open new shop in Lancaster
Star Flyer returns to Blackpool as Christmas by the Sea looms
The new Lancashire beer with a very unusual name and the reason behind it
Santa to stop for a festive brunch with families at Blackpool's new £34m Holiday Inn
The Budget - and what it means for the North
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Lancashire Lead to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.