Liberal Democrats on Waltham Forest are “very pleased” that they have been able to keep their Council Tax pledge to residents, but have warned that the Government needs to do more to relieve the economic crisis being felt by local people.

Liberal Democrat members of the Council administration will propose a 1.9% rise in Council Tax this spring, a level below many other local authorities.  However local Lib Dem councillors have called on the Government to take more responsibility for the downturn and provide more effective relief for residents.

Cllr John Macklin, Leader of the Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats Group, said:

“The Liberal Democrats always promised that, as part of the Council administration, we would keep Council Tax down below 2.5% and we are keen to keep that pledge despite very challenging financial times for local authorities.

“Lib Dem councillors have worked very hard to ensure that we are able to set local Council Tax at this low rate, and I am very pleased that residents will this year see an increase far below that likely to be felt in many other authorities.

“However I understand that our hard work will still only provide partial relief to local residents who are feeling the full effects of job losses and negative equity on their properties.

“The Lib Dems were warning a year ago that Waltham Forest residents were likely to be hit particularly hard by this recession and property slump, and the collapse in local house prices — one of the worst in London — has certainly shown this to be the case.

“A local council can only do so much to relieve the huge financial burden on local people. 

“Residents will no doubt make up their own minds as to whether trying constantly to ‘spin’ this situation as a ‘global credit crunch’ rather than a recession really constitutes an effective economic policy from Labour.”