Kemi Badenoch said the Conservative Party has brought in lawyers to see whether the government can be challenged over funding cuts linked to Wandsworth Council 94% tax hike plans. She said the proposal was “outrageous” after Wandsworth Council announced a 94% rise in council tax.
The planned increase would nearly double the average Band D bill in Wandsworth and includes a £958 rise. Half of that rise is set by the council and the other half by the mayor of London, with a final decision due early next year.
Kemi Badenoch on Wandsworth
Speaking on Newsnight with Matt Chorley, Badenoch said: “We have actually instructed lawyers, as the Conservative Party, to see if we can challenge the government on this decision.” She added: “I think it is outrageous that Wandsworth Council is having to put up council tax.”
She said families would be extremely worried by a nearly 100% increase in council tax, and added: “Just because on average it's lower than somewhere else doesn't mean that people are going to be able to afford it.”
Wandsworth Council funding cut
Wandsworth Council said it stood to lose £84m annually in funding by the end of the next three years. Badenoch linked that cut to the rise and said lawyers had been instructed to see if the funding decision could be blocked.
She said the Conservative Party would challenge the government because ministers were taking money from areas that do not vote Labour and giving it to places that do vote Labour. The government said it needs to reform the outdated council funding system to move money to where it is most needed.
Wandsworth's next decision
Wandsworth has long had one of the lowest council tax rates in the country, and an average Band D property there currently pays just over £1,000. If the rise goes ahead, households will face a bill close to £2,000, while the legal challenge Badenoch described will test whether the £84m-a-year funding cut can be stopped before the council’s final decision early next year.
