Badenoch's Attack On Council Tax Rises Backfires As Starmer Gives Her 1 Important Reminder

Keir Starmer dismissed Kemi Badenoch’s attempt to slam council tax rises by reminding the Tory leader about her ministerial past.

At PMQs, Badenoch accused the prime minister of going back on his promise to freeze the charge, which is going up for millions of householders from this week.

But the prime minister quickly reminded the leader of the opposition how it had also gone up when she was “minister of council tax”.

He also claimed the government had stepped in to stop Tory-run councils from putting the tax up by even more.

Opening her attack, Badenoch said: “Before the election, he pledged to freeze council tax, instead, it is going up everywhere – even in Birmingham, where there is 17,000 tonnes of rubbish uncollected on the street.

“Does the prime minister regret promising people he would freeze their council tax when he has so obviously failed?”

He replied: “The last government put up council tax for 12 years in a row. She, I think, was actually minister for council tax.

“And in the year she was what did she do? She put it up.”

In 2021-22 and 2022-23, local authorities were able to increase council tax by an additional 3% over to fund adult social care services.

Badenoch was the minister for local government, faith and communities at the time.

Starmer continued: “Even now the Conservatives’ own Local Government Association manifesto – so currently their position – page nine, ‘We asked the government to remove the caps on council tax’.

“So who is leading the charge? Hampshire county council, they wanted a 15% hike. We said no.

“Slough council wanted a hike, we said no. Windsor and Maidenhead – was Tory, now Lib Dem – they wanted a hike, we said no.

“It’s no surprise that council tax is £300 cheaper under Labour councils rather than Tory councils.”