Tories consult senior barrister over ‘outrageous’ Wandsworth tax hike
Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservative party has consulted a senior barrister to challenge the government over local funding cuts, following the recent controversy over looming tax hikes at Wandsworth Council.
Wandsworth Council, which is Tory-run, has recently announced that taxes will rise by 94 per cent for ‘band D’ residents, resulting in taxpayers having to stump up £958 more from next year. The council will make the final decision on the proposed increase early next year.
Local leaders have hit out at the government for needing to make this move after it is set to lose £84m a year following recent changes to the funding formula for councils.
The council said it had to fill a spending gap of about £1,434 for average households in the area, with more than a third due to government funding cuts and the rest coming from inflation and inherited plans from the previous Labour administration.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight on Thursday, Badenoch said the proposed 94 per cent hike was “outrageous” but that her Tory councillors are “not doing it because they want to”, but as a response to the cuts.
She said the Party had “instructed lawyers” to see if the funding cut can be blocked. City AM understands the Tories are currently speaking to a King’s Counsel (KC), not believed to be its usual Silk, Lord Wolfson KC, to see whether they have a case before making the next move.
Push back against the increase
There has been a lot of criticism since Tuesday’s announcement. Labour MPs in the area, including Marsha De Cordova, Rosena Allin-Khan, and Fleur Anderson, have hit back at the council, telling authority leaders they would not support Wandsworth’s bid to request more funding.
Badenoch said the hike would still worry some families. “I think if you suddenly have a nearly 100 per cent increase in your council tax, you would be extremely worried. Families have budgets,” she said.
She added: “Just because on average it’s lower than somewhere else doesn’t mean that people are going to be able to afford it.”
Commenting on the potential legal action, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Local authorities decide the level of council tax they wish to set, but we are clear that in doing so they should put taxpayers first.
“We’ve made over £78bn available for council finances next year, with the majority of money unringfenced so local leaders can decide how best to spend on their local priorities.
“And we’re fixing an outdated funding system so funding goes where need is greatest, while protecting councils through the transition and ensuring no area faces a cliff edge,” they added.
Wandsworth Council was contacted for comment.