Kemi Badenoch has set the lawyers on the government over the 40% funding cuts that Tory-run Wandsworth Council claims has forced it into a gigantic 94% council tax rise. Band D bills are set to soar from £1,020 to £1,978…
She told Newsnight last night:
“We have actually instructed lawyers, as the Conservative Party, to see if we can challenge the government on this decision.
Because what it looks like Labour is doing is taking money from areas that don’t vote Labour, and giving it to places that do vote Labour.
And I think that’s completely wrong. I think it is outrageous. So we’re talking to lawyers. Andy Burnham has not found 40 percent of anything to cut, but he’s asking Wandsworth to do that. I don’t think that’s fair. I don’t think that’s right.”
The Tories are blaming Rayner’s funding shake-up, which redirects money north to Labour areas. Although the Tories’ own summer spending review at the town hall also points the finger at the Labour administration they turfed out in May for running down reserves and growing the payroll by 14% since 2022. Which is par for the course when the Labour sheriffs are in town…
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”