Ratepayers in Barnet face an eight per cent hike in council tax next year nearly nine times the current rate of inflation.

Barnet Council's preferred increase 2.5 per cent went out to consultation this week, along with warnings to London Mayor Ken Livingstone to be prudent.

"The taxpayers will have it demonstrated to them exactly who is responsible for which part of their council tax bill," council leader Alan Williams told Barnet's policy conference on Thursday last week.

Tories immediately accused Labour of trying to "con" the electorate in the run-up to next May's local authority elections, just two months after the budget is confirmed on March 5.

Although inflation is currently running at less than one per cent, borough ratepayers will have a choice of a rise of either 2.5 per cent, three per cent or 3.5 per cent for Barnet's portion of the tax next year.

On top of that will go the Greater London Authority (GLA) precept, announced by Mr Livingstone this week to require an extra £52 a year on Band D houses.

This equates to a six per cent hike in council tax bills on top of the borough's likely 2.5 per cent increase.

While Barnet blamed Mr Livingstone for this year's increase 4.5 per cent for the borough with an additional 2.8 per cent for the GLA ratepayers have always had to pay for police and fire, now included in the GLA's precept.

Councillor Tony Finn, Tory resources shadow, described the council budget as "pathetic and unimaginative" and said Labour was trying to hold down council tax ahead of an election year.

Mr Finn also said council tax had risen by a total of 58 per cent over the last seven years, a figure later described by Liberal Democrat Monroe Palmer as lower than most boroughs.

December 18, 2001 16:54

MATTHEW NIXSON