On tape, council’s ‘social care deal with ministers’

Ministers were under pressure last night after a secret recording appeared to show they had reached a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with a tory council over extra cash for social care.

Last month theresa May strenuously denied that the Government had offered a sweetheart deal to surrey Council to persuade it to cancel a threat to put up council tax by 15 per cent.

But in a leaked tape council leader David Hodge is heard saying that a ‘series of conversations’ were held with senior ministers and officials over their demand for more funding.

Communities secretary sajid Javid had discussed surrey’s case with Chancellor Philip Hammond, and a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ had been reached, Mr Hodge said.

the recording is an embarrassment to senior ministers on the eve of the Budget, which is expected to include help for town halls struggling to pay for social care.

When challenged last month by Jeremy Corbyn over claims of a secret deal, Mrs May described the allegations as ‘alternative facts’.

Last night Labour demanded Mr Javid and Mr Hammond both come to the Commons and apologise for their previous denials. A Govern-

‘A series of conversations’

ment spokesman insisted it was ‘simply untrue’ to say that a special deal had been reached.

earlier this year, surrey outlined plans to hold a referendum on whether to raise council tax by 15 per cent. But these plans were suddenly dropped last month, with Mr Hodge saying the rise would be limited to 5 per cent.

Labour claimed leaked text messages showed surrey had a deal with Mr Javid. Ministers denied this. But on the tape, leaked to BBC radio, Mr Hodge reveals he had spoken to Mr Javid by phone when the Communities secretary was sitting in his car on Downing street.

He tells local councillors he was ‘looking for assurances … for help on how we could stop a referendum’. ‘[Mr Javid] then went inside and spoke to the Chancellor – i think i can say that,’ the recording said. ‘then the spad rang me with what we can and cannot say.’

He added: ‘i have something in writing … but i’m not going to release that information for obvious reasons. there may come a time that if what i call gentleman’s agreements, that the Conservative Party often does, are not honoured, we will have to revisit this in nine months or a year’s time.’