London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced plans to increase council tax by the biggest amount since he took on the role.
On Wednesday, December 22, he proposed increasing his share of bills by an average of £31.93 a year from next April, meaning the average London household will pay almost £400 a year to City Hall.
The increase includes an extra £20 announced by Khan last week to help restore the finances of TfL.
The £31.93 increase consists of £20 for transport, £10 for policing and crime and £1.93 for the London Fire Brigade. It means Londoners will pay an extra £108 million to the Greater London Authority in council tax.
Khan said: “The pandemic is continuing to have a serious impact on London’s finances and the Government is still refusing to properly fund our public services, particularly the Met police, Transport for London and the London Fire Brigade.
He added: “Raising council tax by £2.66 per month is not something I want to do, but the Government is leaving us with no choice.”
What do you think of the proposed tax hike? Should Sadiq Khan find another way of filling the shortcomings in the city’s budget? Let us know your thoughts in the comments for the chance to be featured on the ES website tomorrow.
