Liberal Democrats oppose Mayor's large tax rise

1.00.00pm GMT Wed 15th Feb 2006

The London Assembly today failed to get the two thirds majority required to overturn the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone's Council Tax precept levy for 2006/05. With the support of his Labour party colleagues and the two representatives of the Green party, the overall percentage increase in the Greater London Authority (GLA) precept is 13.3%, equivalent to a Band D council tax of about £289 per household in London boroughs and £78 for households the City of London. The percentage increase in the GLA precept excluding the Olympic and Paralympics Games financial contribution is 5.5%.

The Liberal Democrat group however proposed a budget amendment that would have meant a smaller increase of just over 2.9%.

Liberal Democrat Budget spokesman Mike Tuffrey said:

"A mayor who was genuinely concerned about the limits of the council tax levels would be rather less prone to drive up the level and rather more keen to spend the resources wisely. The Liberal Democrats fully support the extra investment going in to our police services and the creation of the Safer Neighbourhood teams in each ward by May of this year, however within the Mayor's empire including Transport for London there are schemes where money can be saved and wasteful expenditure that can be cut."

ENDS

Note to editors

Full details of the Liberal Democrat's budget amendment can be seen at http://www.glalibdems.org.uk/resources/index/The%20Mayor%20and%20London%20Assembly or by contacting Nick Carthew on 020 7983 4962