By: Oliver Dean, grassroots intern at the TaxPayers’ Alliance
“Ridiculous”, “preposterous” and “absurd” were just some of the words that the residents of Cookham, a village near Maidenhead, used to describe their local council’s plan to raise council tax by 25 per cent. Yet, despite widespread distaste for such proposals, the council is determined to continue on its crusade to take more money out of people’s pockets.
Now more than ever, the British public are struggling to make ends meet. Household monthly spending on groceries has risen to £460 on average. Energy bills are also increasing, up to more than £1,700 a year for the typical household. The public is struggling financially. The last thing they need are tax hikes that will cost them hundreds of pounds a year.
Yet, Windsor and Maidenhead council (RBWM) don’t seem to recognise this. They don’t seem to be able to grapple with the idea that their residents are not in a position to take the fall for the economic mismanagement that they have brought upon themselves.
The proposed tax hike of 25 per cent will be the highest council tax rise in two decades. Research from the TaxPayer’s Alliance indicates that this will see the average household bill increase by £451. While the council claims to have the lowest level of council tax compared to similar authorities, the TPA have demonstrated that they’re not being entirely truthful with the figures. It is true that RBWM have the lowest level of Band D council tax of any unitary authority, at £1,333. However, when you look at the average amount of council tax actually paid in the area, they are in the top twenty, or top third. This is because there are so many higher band households in the area.
What does this mean? Well, for an average taxpayer, if these proposals are passed through, they will be more than £2000 out of pocket every year.
As if this were not bad enough, the council may be able to avoid accountability on this matter altogether. Under normal circumstances, any council tax increase of more than 4.99 per cent must have the support of local residents. This is done through a local referendum, which provides local councils with a mandate to impose tax increases. Yet, Angela Rayner can authorise the council to go through with the tax rise without consulting residents. Not only are people going to be poorer as a result of this policy, they are not even provided with an opportunity to voice their opposition to it. When people say taxation is theft, perhaps this is what they are referring to.
It’s clear why RBWM is hoping to bypass local residents. If it went to a public vote, their indefensible tax hike would be dead in the water. Thousands of people would march to the ballot box to signal their objection to the rise. The council would have no choice but to backtrack and go back to the drawing board. Indeed, it may even force them to properly manage their finances in future - a scary thought for them, I’m sure. It took just one day walking around the streets of Maidenhead to see people don’t want this tax rise to go through. Everyone we spoke to, whether young or old, whether Tory, Liberal or Labour were firmly against the tax hike.
There is still an opportunity for these proposals to be stopped. If enough residents write to their local council, if enough people demonstrate their opposition to such an absurd policy, the council may well change their mind. RBWM needs to recognise that local government is not a game. These are real policies that will impact real people. This proposal will make people poorer. We can only hope that they recognise this reality sooner rather than later.