Tories Plan 54% Rise In Council Tax By Next Election

3.45.36pm GMT Tue 2nd Dec 2003

Band D Council Tax is set to hit £1,688 a year under the Tories by the time of the next local elections in May 2006, up from £1,097 in May 2002 under the previous Liberal Democrat administration.

This tax bomb-shell was dropped in the Tory Council's recently adopted "Medium and Long Term Financial Strategy 2004/5 - 2006/7". This Strategy reveals that the Tories are planning Council Tax rises of 10% a year over the next three years, on top of their record-breaking 15.6% rise this year. The final figures could be even higher, as the Tory figures don't include the big rises expected in the portion of Council Tax set by the Mayor of London.

Lib Dems say 'Enough is Enough'.

The Council Tax was introduced by the last Tory government and hits lower income households and pensioners the hardest. The Liberal Democrats are campaigning to have the Council Tax scrapped and replaced with a fairer tax, based on ability to pay.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Stephen Knight, said: "There are many households in borough that can no longer afford the Tory Council Tax at these levels. It is time to scrap this unfair tax and replace it with a more affordable system."