Oldham finance boss backs Starmer's council tax freeze call

Deputy Leader of Oldham Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Green, Abdul Jabbar

Labour leader Keir Starmer recently urged Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to stop their planned council tax hike and to help protect family incomes.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Labour leader said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s council tax hike will hit families right at the very time millions are worried about the future of their jobs and how they will make ends meet.”

The Labour leader accuses the Government of breaking its promise to do ‘whatever is necessary’ to support councils by forcing them to hike taxes for households across Britain.

Now, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Abdul Jabbar, has spoken out in support of the Labour leader’s call.

He said: “Year on year Council Tax payers have faced a ‘pay more get less’ situation due to a combination of Government cuts to local councils added with an expectation that local authorities would recoup some of the cut funds by putting up Council Tax.

“This year the situation is particularly acute because the Government have not honoured their promise to provide Oldham Council with the money we’ve had to spend and income we’ve lost due to coronavirus.

"Instead they’ve told us we should put up Council Tax by up to 5%, hitting the pockets of hard-working families in Oldham, many of whom have suffered loss of earnings or business failures due to the pandemic.

“I support Sir Keir Starmer’s call for the Government to provide Councils with the equivalent money that a 5% Council tax increase would raise so that we don’t have to implement any increase this year.”

Under the Government’s proposals, households living in Band D will face an average rise of £91 next year under plans.

Oldham Council is due to set its budget for the next financial year in March.

It is yet to make an announcement on any proposed Council Tax increase.

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