The Government is under fire over a “huge disparity” in council tax when it comes to comparing what different parts of the UK pay.
Conor Holohan from the TaxPayers’ Alliance says a freeze should be introduced next year to help even out the burden, with new research showing residents in parts of the UK are paying more than 10 per cent of their median gross pay.
The group released figures which suggests the council tax burden is felt the most in West Devon, where residents pay 10.85 per cent of their median gross pay.
The people of Wandsworth, however, are subject to a significantly lower burden of just 2.16 per cent.
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Holohan told GB News that freezing council tax is the way forward, as too many Britons are being “battered” and “humbled” by eye-watering costs.
“It’s important that this is looked at and measures are made to ease the pressures on residents”, he told Tom Harwood and Ellie Costello.
“They’re the ones being battered by this. This does need to be addressed because people are being humbled by their council tax.
“What’s driving these massive burdens is out of control spending or failure to think of residents when budgets are being set.
“I would say that a council like West Devon, where residents are paying 10 per cent on their council tax, they have a responsibility to deliver good value.
“The Chief Executive of West Devon is earning over £100,000, he’s not paying 10 per cent of his wages on council tax.
“There is a much better deal in London for people with higher property prices. Relative to property prices, in Westminster, people are only paying 0.1 per cent on council tax, and when it’s linked to wages, it’s two per cent. It’s unsustainable.”
The TaxPayers’ Alliance’s media manager went on to suggest that a council tax freeze could help local bodies with “finding efficiencies” on more of a shoestring budget.
Britons face a 'huge disparity' in council tax
PEXELS“It’s obviously important that key services are protected”, he said.
“What people are frustrated about when they are paying high amounts of council tax is that their council is doing donkey services.
“They’re paying massive salaries to bosses or experimenting in four-day weeks, like we’ve seen in Cambridgeshire.
“What it should look like is councils finding efficiencies and savings and passing those savings onto taxpayers while protecting those savings.”
It comes after it was revealed that inflation slowed to 6.8 per cent last month, but pressure remains on households as food, restaurant and hotel costs stay high.
GB News’ Tom Harwood questioned Holohan over the matter, suggesting any council tax freeze would mean a cut in what is being spent in real terms.
Holohan insists this would not necessarily be the case, arguing: “These things [food, restaurant and hotel costs] are going up over and above inflation.
“That burden is falling on hard pressed people who are having to deal with these increases in prices and the high level of energy bills we’ve seen in the past few months.”
