Biggest local tax increase since 1983

12.00.00am GMT Tue 4th Mar 2003

Richmond's Council Tax increase of 15.6% for 2003/04 is the highest local tax increase since the last Tory budget in 1983, when the rates went up 30%. And the previous Tory increase was 28% in 1982. The Tories are certainly the high tax party in Richmond.

The average local tax increase during the years that Liberal Democrats ran Richmond upon Thames was 5.3%. For the previous ten Tory budgets before that, the average increase was 15.9%! No wonder Councillor David Williams has a sense of déjà vu with the Tories almost hitting their previous average again at their first attempt.

The Tories claim they inherited "a poor legacy" from the Liberal Democrats. Yet they have managed to underspend this year's budget by more than £4 million. And the District Auditor said in his annual report, "In 2001/02, the impact of better financial planning and the full financial effect of the LSVT [housing transfer] has seen the Council's general fund balances restored to £5.5m."

Councillor Williams said, "This budget demonstrates that the Tories have taken the Council back to huge and unnecessary tax increases while still making mean cuts, particularly to services for the elderly. Richmond's residents deserve better than this extravagance and incompetence."