Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said the party has instructed lawyers over Wandsworth council tax funding cuts that the borough claims have forced it to propose a 94 per cent rise in bills.
Speaking to Matt Chorley on BBC Two’s Newsnight, Badenoch said the Conservative Party wanted to examine whether the government could be challenged over changes to the council funding formula, which Wandsworth says could strip it of £84 million a year within three years.
The south-west London borough — long known for having among the lowest council tax rates in the country — is consulting on adding £958 to the average Band D bill, taking the total from £1,020 to £1,978 from April 2027. A final decision is expected early next year.
What Badenoch told Newsnight about Wandsworth council tax
Badenoch described the proposed increase as “outrageous”, but insisted the council was not acting out of choice. “I think it is outrageous that Wandsworth Council is having to put up council tax. But they’re not doing it because they want to,” she said. “It is because the government has taken away 40% of their funding. So we have actually instructed lawyers, as the Conservative Party, to see if we can challenge the government on this decision.”
She accused ministers of moving money away from areas that do not support Labour. “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,” she said.
The Conservative leader argued the scale of the rise would be hard for households to absorb. “I think if you suddenly have a nearly 100% increase in your council tax, you would be extremely worried,” she said. “Families have budgets. Just because on average it’s lower than somewhere else doesn’t mean that people are going to be able to afford it.”
The funding row behind the proposed rise
Wandsworth says the proposal follows changes to the council funding formula announced by ministers last year, under which money is redistributed between local authorities. The council says it stands to lose £84 million a year by the end of the next three years, equivalent to its combined annual spend on parks, libraries, leisure centres, bin collections and street cleaning.
The usual five per cent limit on annual council tax rises has been lifted for Wandsworth and several other affected councils, including Westminster, Richmond, Kensington and Chelsea, and Windsor and Maidenhead.
The council’s Conservative deputy leader said: “Higher council tax will not be easy or welcome. We do not regard it as fair and will continue to challenge the government by every possible means.” Labour opposition leader Simon Hogg called the proposal “outrageous” and “stunning”, adding: “This increase is unfair, it’s unnecessary and we oppose it.”
The rise was announced at a council meeting earlier this week. The council plans to consult residents before making a final decision and intends to submit a formal appeal to ministers asking them to reconsider the funding cut.
Government response and what happens next
Ministers reject Badenoch’s description of the settlement. A government spokesperson said more than £78 billion had been made available for council finances, adding that ministers were “fixing an outdated funding system so funding goes where need is greatest” while protecting councils during the transition.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said councils decide their own tax rates but should “put taxpayers first”.
Other councils are said to be considering joining Wandsworth in using the Sustainable Communities Act to challenge the funding changes, meaning the borough’s legal exploration could yet become part of a wider fight between town halls and Whitehall. Residents will have their say first: Wandsworth’s consultation on the 94 per cent rise is under way, with the final decision due early next year.
Read our earlier report: Wandsworth council tax rise: council proposes record 94 per cent increase from April 2027.
