Jonathan Djanogly, the Member of Parliament for the Huntingdon Constituency, today reacted angrily to the Government's decision to cap Huntingdonshire District Council.
The effect of the cap is that the Council's income will reduce by £387,000 and will cost £60,000 to re-send the council tax bills to the Council's 63,000 taxpayers.
Jonathan Djanogly said:
"Although the Labour Party used the cap threat as a pre-election gimmick, I can hardly believe that they have now gone ahead and decided to effect the cap.
"Huntingdonshire District Council is one of the best providers of local government services and provides these services at one of the lowest costs in the country. The proposed increases in council tax are based on a rationale assessment of the need to balance service provision against falling reserves over a number of years. These increases were indorsed by public consultation and indeed a resounding victory for the Conservative Party in the last all-out District Council elections.
"The fact is that the Labour Party clearly doesn't give two hoots for local democracy, people's right to decide what services they want in their own areas or the huge administrative costs of returning, in real terms, £7 less on taxpayers council tax bills for this year.
"I shall be meeting with the Chief Executive of Huntingdonshire District Council next week with my colleague Shailesh Vara and I shall certainly be putting the case strongly to the Minister, David Milliband, who is obviously clueless."