Westminster's Council Tax is the fastest rising in England, independent report says

10.28.52am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 25th Jun 2007

Westminster's Council Tax has risen more in the last decade than any other in England!

Council Tax in Westminster has risen by 149% in the last decade, according to a report published this weekend by the Halifax. This is the biggest rise anywhere in England, and the third highest in Britain as a whole.

Commenting on the report, local Liberal Democrat spokesperson Mark Blackburn said: "Local Tories need to stop blaming London's Mayor and give a proper explanation for these figures, which again call into question their supposed financial wizardry. They love to say how great they are, but according to the evidence in this independent report Westminster is the biggest tax riser anywhere in England!"

Of the 32 London boroughs, only three others finished, alongside Westminster, in the list of the top 30 biggest tax risers. Indeed, the London boroughs of Islington, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Greenwich had amongst the lowest overall tax increases of any local authorities in Britain.

Mark added, "Westminster Tories try to pass the buck to the Mayor, but other London councils have fared much better. So this is clearly not down just to the Mayor. Every other London borough has coped with the extra tax he has asked for. Every single one of them performed better than Westminster."