Council tax rise is an insult to Derby people

THE Derby Conservatives have increased council tax by 4.99% from April. This comes at a time when Derby households are struggling financially due to the pandemic (“Big rise in council tax voted through”, February 26).

Whilst Derby people have been struggling through a tough winter lockdown and doing their best to keep body and soul together, their Conservative council leaders were sitting down and planning to add this massive tax hike to their household costs.

The Conservatives don’t understand the difference between minimum and maximum. They say they have kept the council tax increase to a minimum, while in fact they have increased it by the maximum allowed by the government.

People will have to pay more and get less. The Conservatives have over-promised and underdelivered on the Assembly Rooms, the Guildhall and the Market Hall. They have done nothing on climate change, despite committing £3 million to address that. They have caused fly-tipping to increase by failing to make the Raynesway tip easy to access and failing to deliver on their promise of another tip in Derby.

Derby deserves better. The Conservatives have constantly backed off from delivering free school meal vouchers to eligible children throughout 2021.

This is not the time for tax increases. It is time the Conservative councillors recognised the courage shown by Derby people in recent months and matched it with a few brave decisions on their behalf. Simply landing them with a massive council tax hike come April is an insult.

Alison Martin, Darley Ward Labour candidate