Badenoch says she is bringing in lawyers to challenge government after Tory-run council's 94% tax hike
A row is growing over Wandsworth Council's rise, which the local authority is blaming on government funding cuts.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has taken legal action to challenge the government over funding cuts, following a record council tax increase in Wandsworth, a borough governed by her party. She described the proposed 94% hike as outrageous, and the Conservative Party has instructed lawyers to investigate potential obstacles to the £84m-a-year government funding reduction cited by Wandsworth Council.
The government maintains that the funding system reform is necessary to redistribute resources more effectively. Despite previously having among the lowest council tax rates in the country, Wandsworth residents would see their Band D property tax nearly double due to the £958 rise, with half determined by the council and the other half by the mayor of London.
This announcement has sparked significant criticism, with Badenoch accusing the government of unfairly redistributing funds from areas that do not vote Labour to those that do. The final decision on the matter is scheduled for early next year.
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