Luke Campbell, the Reform UK Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, has been accused of breaking his promise of an annual £1 million Community Fund. A Hull City Councillor has accused the Mayor of going against commitments made in the announcement of his flagship scheme.
In August last year, the Mayor took to social media to announce the fund, inviting people to submit ideas for how the money could be spent. In a video, Mr Campbell said: “This is £1 million every year for the next four years.”
Despite Mr Campbell’s claim of an annual fund, the Combined Authority’s (CA) Medium Term Financial Plan only shows the Community Fund in the 2025/26 budget. The £1 m fund does not appear in the budgets for the 2026/27, 2027/28, and 2028/29 financial years.
At a meeting of the CA’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Hull City Council‘s Cllr Jack Haines (Boothferry ward – Liberal Democrat) raised this, asking the present CA officers: “Is it the intention that this fund will only be a one off for that it will be, indeed, £1 million every year for the next four years?”
In response, CA’s Interim Director of Finance explained that the decision had only been taken for Year 1 so that the success of the fund could be measured, allowing the CA to assess if it would be “worthwhile” to renew the fund. The Interim Director confirmed that currently, the fund is only forecast for the first year in the budget.
(Image: Liberal Democrats)
Later in the meeting Cllr Haines sought to clarify if the Mayor had “ever asked for the Community Investment Fund to be put in future years budget lines?” The Interim Director said the Mayor has spoken about his ambitions for the fund but has not “specifically instructed” for it to be put in future budget lines.
Commenting after the meeting Cllr Haines said: “In the first budget of Reform UK, Mayor Luke Campbell, it looks like he is breaking his promise to the people of Hull and East Yorkshire. People voted for change, and instead, today we’ve seen that the Mayor has broken his word on his own flagship fund.
Reacting to Cllr Haines’ comments, a spokesperson from the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA) insisted: “It is incorrect to suggest that the Mayor has broken a commitment regarding the future of the Community Fund. Work continues to ensure the fund delivers long-term benefits for communities across Hull and East Yorkshire.
The spokesperson confirmed the Mayor’s intention remains for the Community Fund to be funded at £1 million per year, adding: “As with other Mayoral-led investment programmes, any unallocated funding from one year can be rolled over into the next to ensure continuity and maximise community benefit. HEYCA officers reiterated the Mayor’s intention for the Community Fund to be funded at £1 million per year to the committee.
“The absence of multi-year allocations in draft budget papers does not reflect a change in commitment. It reflects normal budget setting processes for a new Combined Authority.”
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