Mark Isherwood
Figures published this morning suggest an average council tax rise in England for 2014-15 of 0.6%, while, under Labour, Welsh councils are facing rises of between 3% and 5%.
Just over half of Welsh local authorities have so far confirmed their council tax increases for next year, with the lowest agreed rise of 3%. Swansea, Conwy and Ceredigion have confirmed rises of 5%.
Council tax in Labour-run Wales has already increased by 148% since 1997.
Year after year, the Welsh Government has refused to pass on a council tax freeze to families in Wales, despite having received funding from the Conservative-led coalition.
As well as rejecting a freeze, Carwyn Jones’ Labour Government has refused to introduce a referendum threshold, as in England, forcing councils which plan to raise bills by more than 2% to seek the support of taxpayers through a referendum.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has just agreed its seventh cut in council tax in the past eight years.
Mark Isherwood AM, Shadow Minister for Local Government, said, “As Welsh councils continue to set inflation-busting council tax hikes, these figures show families in other parts of the UK are seeing very modest increases, a freeze or even cuts in their bills.
“Under Labour, council tax has risen by 148% and now hard-pressed households are set to see their bills rise again by double the rate of inflation.
“Council tax has been frozen for years in much of England and in Scotland, but Carwyn Jones’ Labour Government has refused to pass on a freeze to Welsh councils, forcing them to choose between cutting services or putting up council tax bills.
“Welsh Conservatives are a low tax party. We want people to be able to spend more of their own money, which is why we support a council tax freeze to put more money in people’s pockets.”
