Labour Ministers have published new figures revealing that council tax bills across England will rise from April by an extra £53 on a Band D bill, pushing the typical bill to £1,321 a year. However, in Wyre Forest, bills have risen by whopping 114% since 1997 - an extra £725 a year.
Council tax bills have soared by 92 per cent in England since 1997 across every council tax band - homes big and small. In total, council tax revenues have soared by almost £13 billion a year in Britain under Gordon Brown - equivalent to increasing the basic rate of income tax by 4 pence.
Mark Garnier, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest said:
"Gordon Brown has turned council tax into the ultimate stealth tax - inflating bills by the equivalent of 4 pence on income tax, but making local councillors take the blame when weighty bills hit the doorstep. These increases make a mockery of the Chancellor's Budget sleight of hand with the rates of income tax."
Wyre Forest has been hit more than most seeing bills rise from £607 for a band D home in 1997 to £1,361 for 07/08. The run away tax inflation in Wyre Forest came under a number of administration, but most recently it was the Health Concern administration that introduced some of the highest rises.
Continuing, Mark Garnier added.
Everyone in Wyre Forest welcomes Health Concern's sterling efforts to save the hospital and I have always added my support to their campaign. But the humdrum of running the local council is a far cry from the glory of a single issue campaign and it is clear that they found the job of balancing the books whilst improving public services more problematic than trying to save the local hospital.
"Cllr John Campion's tenure as cabinet member for finance has proved a welcome relief from the runaway tax hikes under Health Concern and previous administrations. With just a 2.5% rise for 2007/8, I think john has proved that the Conservatives can deliver improved services accompanied by fiscal prudence."