Survey carries a caveat for Pickles

摘要

This week's exclusive Mi survey of council finances - conducted jointly with the authoritative team at the LGiU - makes for fascinating reading. Discussions about take-up of the coalition's council tax 'freeze' grant have been presented by the national media as a question of 'will they, won't they? The few rebels have been lauded and criticised in turn. However, the fairly inevitable end product was that the vast majority of councils have, like last year, opted to take the cash and run - rather than risk the wrath of local residents by hiking up local tax bills as the economy continues to stagger. But as the survey indicates, there is also an implicit warning to communities secretary, Eric Pickles: We will again take your kind cash offer during this period of austerity - but we would prefer you to butt out of our financial affairs in future. Indeed, 80% of respondents to our survey said they should be left to set their own council tax rates from next year.