Plaid Cymru AM Lindsay Whittle has spoken out against a national council tax freeze while praising Caerphilly council’s decision to peg charges for two consecutive years.
Lindsay Whittle also highlighted the work of council workers across Wales, describing them as “unsung heroes” who go the extra mile to serve the public.
Speaking in a Senedd debate on local government, Lindsay Whittle, a former leader of Caerphilly council, said: “Plaid Cymru doesn’t support a national council tax freeze as has happened in England and Scotland, because council tax levels are different here than they are in England. And also, the funding settlement is more generous in Scotland.
“Caerphilly has chosen to freeze council tax in order to help hard-pressed families. This is Caerphilly’s own decision and Plaid Cymru is clear that decisions on council tax must be made by individual councils. Just as we want Wales to control its own tax rates where possible, we don’t support a blanket all-Wales policy on council tax because each authority regardless of its politics has its own needs and circumstances.
“In Caerphilly £17m of efficiency savings have been found without significantly impacting on frontline services and local jobs. That is the kind of financial management that has enabled Plaid Cymru to keep the council tax frozen in the borough, not just for this year but next year as well, and that is a historic first for Wales.”
He also praised the scheme which has provided 160 apprentice and training places in Caerphilly and said every local authority in Wales should follow suit.
Lindsay Whittle said he loved local government, pointing out as a 14-year-old he used to go from school to listen to debates at Caerphilly Urban District Council. “I was the only person in the public gallery and I have been attending council meetings for 45 years.”
