SIGOMA chair responds to PM council tax comments

Posted on February 12, 2024

Responding to Rishi Sunak's call for 'restrained' council tax rises, SIGOMA Chair, Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton, said:

“For 13 years, revenue support grant has been cut to councils. That was a government decision and the consequence of that is councils having to increase council tax. For the last few years, the government has told councils to fund adult social care with increases in council tax.

“The government has reduced funding to the poorest councils through the retention of business rates schemes. There is a £4bn shortfall to provide services and the government has decided not to bridge that – a government decision.”

Read coverage of our comments in The Guardian and the Municipal Journal.