Senior Labour MP Chris Williamson has openly suggested that council tax bills on the highest-value homes in England should be doubled, in order to help out with the budget pressures that local authorities face.
Williamson, an ally of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, has stated that the increases could be staggered from 20% for a home that’s in the Band D category, all the way up to 100% for a Band H home, which is the top level.
Speaking to the Huffington Post about the matter, he said that this was his idea, and not one that’s part of Labour policy, however he believes it has a lot of support among Labour activists.
Perhaps understandably, Dominic Raab – the newly-appointed housing minister for the Conservatives – slammed the idea, and attacked every facet of it.
“The last Labour government doubled council tax and now they want to hike it again,” Raab said. “This latest plan would see people’s bills soar by 20% and add at least £320 a year to the average council tax bill.
“Only the Conservatives have the balanced approach our economy needs to keep more money in people’s pockets.”
Due to cuts in their funding – the majority of which has come from central government – local government leaders in England have stated that they are at “financial breaking point.”
Williamson, who is also the shadow fire and emergency services minister, believes that his proposal for council tax “could be the only way of arresting the cuts and generating some income to start to grow local services”.
