One of the first actions from the new Labour controlled administration at Hammersmith & Fulham Council has been to change the Council’s logo in two ways. The first, rather childishly, has been to change the colour of the letters “H” and “F” from blue to red. The second move is more ominous, with the dropping of the now-famous strap line “The Low Tax Borough”.
The Council adopted the tag-line “The low tax borough” in January 2013 in recognition of the fact that the administration cut tax for the sixth year out of seven. Since 2006, the Conservative led Hammersmith & Fulham reduced council tax by 20%, saving the average family £849. Prior to last month’s elections, H&F had the third lowest council tax in the whole of the UK.
However, local Conservatives and the MP Greg Hands, are now concerned that the dropping of the ‘Low Tax’ slogan could indicate an intention to return to tax rises. It remains to be seen what plans the new Labour Council leadership has for council tax, not least as the current tax year has only recently started, and it is unlikely that Labour would re-bill residents for the year 2014-15. But Labour’s record on the area is clear. The previous Labour administration increased council tax by around 10% every single year, making life harder for hard working families in the borough.
MP for Chelsea and Fulham Greg Hands said “It is worrying that this change of tone from the new council could spell a return to the bad old days of Labour. This could be a return to taxing more, borrowing more and wasting more. For instance, is spending time and money changing the colour of two letters of the council logo really necessary, or an urgent priority for residents?
“The economy is starting to grow, but the recovery is in its early stages. Hardworking families in the area can ill-afford a potential rise in council tax in these still challenging times. The council should be focused on delivering high quality services, with greater efficiency, and allowing their residents to keep more of their earnings.”