Council tax myth busting – Labour costs you less

By John Healey

There’s one myth that Labour must do more to bust, especially in the run up to local elections in June.

It’s the myth that the Tories give you lower council tax than Labour. Tory councils are looking to cut and privatise while Labour councils are investing in services, even in these tougher times. Yet the Tories still levy a higher average council tax than we do. On average you pay £204 more if you live under a Tory Council than in a Labour area.

Here are the figures: average council tax per dwelling for Labour top-tier authorities for the coming year will be £1093. For the Tories it’s £1297 and for the Lib Dems it’s £1227.

David Cameron said last year ‘I ask anyone what’s the most painful tax and it is the Council Tax … it really hurts because it’s gone up to such a level.’

If David Cameron and the Conservatives care so much about council tax, there’s something they can do about it now. Keep it down in the councils that they control.

The Tories have a choice. They can continue to levy high council tax and just blame the government when their residents feel the pinch. Or they can take responsibility for helping people through tougher times, by maintaining frontline services and bearing down on those Tory council tax rises.

They should take the second path. That’s what Labour’s doing.

P.S. For those of you with a real technical interest in council tax (there are a few people!) don’t let anyone tell you it’s only Band-D council tax figures that count – only one in seven homes are Band-D, so figures for the average of all households make more sense.