A COVENTRY MP has called on Boris Johnson to scrap a planned 5% council tax rise set to add £100 to annual council tax bills for the average Band D home in her constituency.
Under government plans local authorities in England will be able to raise council tax by 5% from April, with 3% used to top up adult social care budgets.
The Labour Party described the increase a “bombshell” which could have serious implications for working families and called on PM Boris Johnson to “drop the Government’s plans to force local councils to increase council tax”.
Conservative MPs refused to vote against a council tax hike on Monday (January 25) – meaning it passed by 210 votes to zero.
Taiwo Owatemi, MP for Coventry North West, said: “This council tax rise will hit families right at the very time millions are worried about the future of their jobs and how they will get through the next few months.
“This Government should not be making families pay for their mishandling of the Covid crisis and their broken promises to support councils.
“The Prime Minister must listen to the will of the House of Commons – live up to his promise and not force councils to raise council tax to protect vital services during this crisis.”
Coventry City Council faces a funding gap because of income lost during the pandemic and the additional costs of keeping communities safe from Covid-19 amounting to at least £55m.
Last March Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick previously told 300 council leaders they would be funded to do “whatever it takes” to support their communities but later backtracked and suggested councils should share the burden of their lost income.
