Labour feels the heat on council tax freeze

10.36.00am GMT Wed 28th Oct 2009

Islington's Liberal Democrat councillors are campaigning for a council tax freeze.

Islington Liberal Democrat councillors have thrown down the gauntlet to Labour councillors and challenged them to join the Lib Dems in freezing the council tax next year.

In last year's budget, Labour increased the council tax by 2.5% - inner London's highest increase - despite residents already being out of pocket in the recession. Liberal Democrats voted to keep the council tax down but were outvoted by Labour after one of the Lib Dem councillors was rushed to hospital.

Since the budget, Islington Lib Dems have been out campaigning to stop Labour putting up the council tax again and have received thousands of petition signatures. Last Friday London Labour council leaders announced that they will be following the Islington Lib Dem example and will freeze their council tax next year.

Islington Liberal Democrats have now written to the Labour council group leader asking her to make clear what Islington Labour councillors will do next year.

Islington's Liberal Democrat council leader Terry Stacy said:

"It's good to see London Labour councils following the Islington Lib Dem example and proposing a council tax freeze. It's better late than never.

"What will Islington Labour do now? Will they fall into line with their London colleagues and drop free school meals to keep the council tax down?

"Or will they stick two fingers up at local residents and go for another record-breaking council tax rise like last year?

"Most importantly, If they go for the freeze that the Lib Dems and residents want, will they be cutting services to other residents to save their free school meals project?"