Lambeth gets London's biggest Council Tax Rise

Lambeth Council Taxpayers are reeling at news that they once again are to get London's biggest tax rise.
Labour-run Lambeth has hiked Council Tax by another 4.75% on top of last year's 4.99%. Both were the biggest rises in London.

Both rises also break a Labour election promise that tax rises would not be bigger than rises in average wages.

Labour in Lambeth are following the lead of Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone and his supporters on the Greater London Assembly - like Lambeth's Val Shawcross. They have pushed up their part of the Council Tax by an average of 14% a year since their election in 2000.

"Council Tax hits people on lower incomes hard," said Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon. "We need a local representative on the Assembly who will fight these big tax rises - not just back them every time."