All this wringing of hands... just put up the council tax!

Published: 17 February, 2011

• CAMDEN Council tell us it’s central government that’s forcing them to make all these cuts and yet they have decided to make no increase in council tax for the fourth year running, which, of course, means it’s gone down, when inflation’s taken into account, by about 9 per cent.

They could have increased it by 3.5 per cent without Eric Pickles applying a cap but it looks as if they don’t think it’s worthwhile. 

They tell us that Camden gets about 10 per cent of its income from the council tax, and that’s “only” £97million this year.

But a 3.5 per cent increase would have brought in what most people would think is quite a lot – £3,395,000, more than enough to save an old people’s club here or a nursery there, or at least some of the 1,000 jobs scheduled to go.

Could we afford it? 

No doubt any increase would be difficult for some people, especially those losing their jobs because of “the cuts”. 

But there are a great many others who would rather pay a bit more than lose much-valued services and facilities, especially as they’re never likely to be replaced once they’ve gone. 

After all, it wouldn’t be a lot more: for a band D property, it would be just 13p a week. But for Camden’s councillors, however much they wring their hands and tell us how much it pains them to make these cuts, keeping in with Mr Pickles seems to be more important than saving services and jobs.

MICHAEL POUNTNEY
Rokeby House, 
Lamb’s Conduit Street, WC1