Liberal Democrat outrage at Labour's 4.75% increase in Council Tax

11.11.14am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 22nd Feb 2008

Councillor Robin Lawrence (right) campaigning against the Council Tax rises

Liberal Democrats in Wolverhampton have expressed outrage at the Labour Party's inflation-busting Council Tax increase of 4.75%, Park Ward Liberal Democrat Councillor Robin Lawrence said "This rise is more than twice the rate of inflation, how are people supposed to be able to afford this increase with pay and pensions not increasingly nearly as much, the rise is even worse for residents of Wolverhampton Homes who have recently seen a massive increase in rent as well."

Claire Darke, Park Ward Liberal Democrat campaigner, said "What makes matters worse is this Labour-run Council has actually been removing services such as the closure of Compton Baths last year - despite residents and Liberal Democrats objections. " Zahid Shah, Liberal Democrat candidate for St. Peters Ward, added "Now the Labour Council is axing the funding for the Community Wardens in Whitmore Reans and other areas - another example of cutting the services whilst charging us more."

Councillor Robin Lawrence compared Labour's misrule of Wolverhampton with what has happened in Birmingham by saying "Labour ran Birmingham for over twenty years until they lost in 2004 - since then the Liberal Democrats have been in joint control of the Council and the last three years have seen below-inflation rises of 1.9% in Council Tax, at the same time services have been improved and the Council has, according to official ratings, improved since the Liberal Democrats took over joint control of the Council."