Councils in the cold over tax increases

摘要

Communities secretary, Eric Pickles, has announced the first 152 authorities which have signed up to his cash incentive for a council tax freeze. He has heaped praise on the authorities which bowed to his demand - while last week, he accused those which didn't of giving residents 'an almighty kick in the teeth'. As ever with central government; the secretary of state is likely to take credit for the policies the public like, while passing the buck for anything unpopular. But, for once, council tax is less of a political issue. The cash on offer from Westminster has been taken up across the political spectrum, and some of the council tax rebels - such as Surrey and Cambridgeshire CCs - are Tory heartlands, which we might have expected to toe the Pickles' line. Listening to Mr Pickles, one could be forgiven for thinking the rebel authorities are refusing the freeze in a bid to upset the locals but, of course, that is not the reason. No-one wants the expense of extra taxes in the current financial climate.