Over the last year, I have spoken at length about the challenges facing local authorities up and down the country. The failure of this Labour Government to adequately fund councils mean that residents are paying more money for fewer services.
Locally, our services have been protected by excellent local leaders. Hillingdon and Harrow are not immune to these funding challenges; Hillingdon has been placed under immense pressure due to its proximity to Heathrow. Despite this, council tax in Hillingdon remains the lowest in North West London, while Harrow continues to introduce new services to support residents.
The Government has made it its policy to force councils into massive council tax hikes to make up for their funding failure. Maximising council tax revenue punishes well-run councils like our own, while those that are poorly run can escape the consequences of their actions.
Today, as the Shadow Minister for Local Government, I pushed the Minister responsible about the impact of the government’s policy. I was disappointed by the Ministers political response that didn’t answer the question.
