Green councillors at Suffolk County Council have today launched the official opposition group at Suffolk County Council. The group consists of 13 councillors elected in May, who have banded together to form the largest opposition group at Endeavour House.
At the council meeting the Green group tabled their first motion on the value of translation services at the council. Reform UK campaign literature circulated in the county in the run up to the recent elections had suggested that the council spent too much money on translation, even though the money is mostly spent in social care services assisting children and vulnerable adults, those seeking sanctuary from the Ukraine and deaf residents needing support via British Sign Language.
Andrew Stringer, Leader of the new Green Group and proposer of the council motion, said:
“It is deeply concerning that at the first opportunity, the Reform-led county council votes against valuing the translation services that help unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, Homes for Ukraine guests as well as providing sign language for the hearing impaired.
We were accused of pulling a political stunt for merely trying to hold Reform to account for the divisive language in their election literature. We asked them to stand by their claim that those in receipt of these services are “refusing to integrate”.
The statement about the spend on translation services was one of the few items on Reform UK election literature that actually related to services provided by Suffolk County Council. It’s therefore a fair thing to ask them about.
The money the council spends on translation is primarily in its work supporting children and vulnerable residents. This is an essential part of the council’s job, and one the Green group is proud of.
As leader of the Green group, the official opposition at Suffolk County Council, I’d like to thank the people who entrusted us with their vote – we will work hard to repay that trust and put the needs of Suffolk residents first, including those most in need of council support.”