Mark Isherwood
On the deadline day for all Welsh councils to agree budgets for the forthcoming financial year, Welsh Conservatives have slammed Carwyn Jones and Welsh Labour for failing to avoid council tax hikes.
Communities across Wales are facing rises of between three and five per cent.
The average increase in England next year is 0.6 per cent.
Taking all confirmed rises for 2014/15 into account, council tax in Labour-run Wales has already increased by over 150 per cent since 1997.
Bills have been frozen in Scotland for seven years and 2014/15 will mark the fourth year of a freeze in England.
While money has been made available to the Welsh Government to implement a similar freeze in Wales since 2011/12, Labour ministers have refused to use it in this way.
Instead, we face rises at double the rate of inflation.
As well as rejecting a freeze, Carwyn Jones and Welsh Labour have refused to introduce a referendum threshold, as in England, forcing councils which plan to raise bills by more than two per cent to seek the support of taxpayers through a referendum.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Local Government, Mark Isherwood AM, said:
“Four years frozen in England.
“Seven years frozen in Scotland.
“More inflation-busting hikes in Wales.
“Council tax increases here are unwanted – unnecessary – and could’ve been avoided by Welsh Labour.
“Every household facing a hike has one decision maker to blame. Labour’s Carwyn Jones has consistently refused to use additional money for a freeze and consistently walloped hardworking families with bigger and bigger bills.
“Council taxpayers know how best to spend their money – and council taxpayers deserve a freeze.
“Since 1997, council tax in Labour’s Wales has rocketed by over 150 per cent to date.
“The huge hikes now being rubber-stamped across Wales are a direct result of Labour’s decision not to support hard-pressed households.
“Welsh Conservatives are the party of low tax. We want council tax frozen and bill payers given a break.”
