‘Betrayed’: 21 Hartlepool councillors threaten to quit Labour over care budget

The Guardian World

by Josh Halliday North of England editor

February 17, 2026

Exclusive: Council in one of England’s poorest areas says it needs urgent help with ballooning children’s social care bill Keir Starmer is facing a mass resignation of Labour councillors in one of England’s poorest areas over a “betrayal” of funding for children in care. Labour councillors in Hartlepool, County Durham, said they were “between despair and open revolt” over an “unfair” cash settlement that would leave them unable to balance the books. Continue reading...

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Originally published on The Guardian World on 2/17/2026