1 April 2007
Town hall tax bills for typical household up £733 in Malvern Hills under Labour

Labour Ministers have published new figures revealing that council tax bills across England will rise from April by an extra £53 on a Band D bill, pushing the typical bill to £1,321 a year. In Malvern Hills, bills have risen by a staggering 121% since 1997 - an extra £733 a year.

Council tax bills have soared by 92 per cent in England since 1997 across every council tax band - homes big and small. In total, council tax revenues have soared by almost £13 billion a year in Britain under Gordon Brown - equivalent to increasing the basic rate of income tax by 4 pence.

Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire said:"Gordon Brown has turned council tax into the ultimate stealth tax - inflating bills by the equivalent of 4 pence on income tax, but making local councillors take the blame when weighty bills hit the doorstep. These increases make a mockery of the Chancellor's Budget sleight of hand with the rates of income tax."

"Council tax has become yet another Labour tax con. Bills are going up year on year - while Ministers in Whitehall are forcing town halls to cut frontline services. Working families and pensioners are paying more and getting less under Gordon Brown."