Local MS for Monmouth, Peter Fox, has warned that Labour’s Manifesto Breach of not freezing council tax, will hit family pockets over the coming weeks.

With the new financial year recently beginning, Mr Fox has highlighted that families across Monmouthshire and Torfaen will feel the impact of council tax rises, with Monmouthshire seeing an increase of 7.8% and Torfaen residents facing a rise of 4.95%. This increase comes at a time when energy bills are set to rise, the cost-of-living crisis is still biting hard, and pensions have had their Winter Fuel Payment removed.

In England, councils are not able to increase council tax above 5% without it being subject to a local referendum, something that Peter has called on the Welsh Government to implement in Wales to protect hard working families from extortionate rises, but sadly they have not listened.

Peter has raised the matter of Council Tax on behalf of residents in the Senedd Chamber, calling on the Welsh Government to stand up to their counterparts in Westminster and be a voice for Wales, but so far this has failed to materialise. Mr Fox has also been vocal in calling for the local government funding formula to be reviewed to ensure fair funding for all of Wales, but again this has been disregarded by Cardiff Bay.

Peter Fox, Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport & Rural Affairs, has said:

“It is disappointing to see that despite an increase in funding from Welsh Government, so many Labour run councils in Wales are choosing to implement massive increases in Council Tax.

“I applaud our Conservative Councillors who have fought these raises to the hilt, and for the work they do, week in and week out in holding these Labour authorities to account.

“As a past leader of Monmouthshire County Council, I was a firm believer in only ever increasing council tax as a last resort, but sadly, I am not confident this has been the case in Monmouthshire under Labour’s control.

“One of the problems with Labour’s approach is that you eventually run out of other people’s money, and they will find the well has been run dry by their excessive and repeated council tax rises on the Welsh people.

“I will always stand up for my residents in Monmouthshire and Torfaen, and will hold the Welsh Government to account whenever possible, to ensure that we get the fairer system that we need, so that hard-working people do not have to keep footing the bill for Labour’s failures.