Waltham Forest Council has voted against a motion to lobby the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions. The motion, brought forward by the Conservative Group, was debated at a Council meeting on 16 October 2025.
The motion, proposed by Councillor Jemma Hemsted and seconded by Councillor Kay Isa, expressed concern about the impact of the NI increase, new parking controls, unfair rent rises, uneven distribution of police resources, road closures, and proposed business rates reform on local businesses. The motion specifically cited the experimental Traffic Order no ET2(25)
and stated that the new parking controls in Waltham Forest which have resulted in a drop in trade
.
The motion recommended that the Chief Executive write to the Chancellor outlining the council's opposition to the NI increase and recommending that the increase be reversed. It also included recommendations to rescind experimental traffic orders, ensure fair rent rises, discuss resource distribution with the Metropolitan Police Service, consider the effects of road closures on businesses, and lobby the government for a fair deal on business rates.
Ultimately, the motion in the names of Councillor Hemsted and Councillor Isa FELL.
