Households in the London borough of Wandsworth, long known for its low council tax rates, are facing a potential 160% increase in local tax bills for the upcoming year. If enacted, this would mark the largest such rise ever recorded in England.
The proposed increase would see the average Band D property's contribution to the local authority jump from approximately £509 to £1,323. However, the Wandsworth-specific portion represents only half of the total council tax bill, with the Greater London Authority levying the remainder. Therefore, the overall increase for households will be less than the 160% figure.
Taxpayer advocacy groups have expressed alarm. Benjamin Elks, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, called the potential hike an "extraordinary raid on households" and urged councillors to explore all cost-saving measures before imposing such a significant tax increase.
Conservatives, who regained control of Wandsworth Council in May, attribute the drastic proposed rise to a funding shake-up implemented by the Labour party. They contend that new "fair funding" plans, which direct more money to areas with higher deprivation, are resulting in a projected 40% reduction in grants to Wandsworth.
Sir James Cleverly, Shadow Communities Secretary, stated that Labour has diverted £85 million annually from Wandsworth Council, characterizing it as a punitive measure against voters who supported the Conservative party. He argued that Labour's actions are forcing the council to either cut services or increase charges, aiming to bolster funding for what he described as inefficient Labour-run councils at the expense of well-managed Conservative ones.
Representatives for London Councils acknowledged the growing difficulty for local authorities to maintain frontline services due to insufficient central government funding. A spokesperson for the group told PoliticsHome that it is "almost impossible" for councillors to protect services in the capital under current financial conditions.
However, Wandsworth Labour leader Simon Hogg, who previously led the council until May 2026, dismissed the Conservatives' explanation. He accused the current administration of using the funding issue as a pretext for austerity measures and pointed to existing cuts in services such as domestic abuse support, a youth bus, and new council home initiatives.