Haringey Labour has been asked to come clean about the astonishing 38% rise in Council Tax over the four budgets of the current Labour administration. The move follows last night’s setting of the Band D Council Tax at £1322.88, and repeated questioning of the Labour Council leader, who insisted again yesterday that the tax has risen by 32% since 2001.

A bad enough figure, say the Lib Dems, but less than the 38% increase local Council Tax payers have in fact had to endure.

Lib Dem Finance Spokesperson Cllr Stephen Gilbert also says that the figure could have been even higher, but for behind-the-scenes pressure from the Labour Environment Minister, who wrote to Haringey Council last year demanding that Labour’s planned seven-percent-plus increase be curbed.

Labour also faced further criticism last night for failing to address the impact of the tax increase on Haringey pensioners. When asked how much pensioners would save under the Lib Dems’ proposal of a local income tax, Labour’s Finance Lead Member couldn’t answer.

Lib Dem Finance Spokesperson Stephen Gilbert (Fortis Green) comments:

“Haringey Labour has no answers to explain its astonishing increase in Council Tax over the four budgets of this Labour administration. They blame the Labour Government, which in turn blames the Labour Council. While this blame game within Labour continues, local people are having to find the money to pay the tax – and services are definitely not 38% better as a result.”

Lib Dem Group Leader Neil Williams (Highgate) adds: “Local pensioners who do not pay income tax would pay nothing at all under Lib Dem proposals to replace Council Tax with a local income tax. It is a much fairer system.”