Council tax rise set to be the first in nine years

London mayor Khan blames the move on his predecessor

COUNCIL tax paid by Londoners could go up for the first time in nine years as Sadiq Khan moves to protect the policing budget.

The figure will go up for the average Band D council tax bill by around 8p a week from April, giving the Met an extra £11.2 million.

The verdict was decided at the London Assembly budget and performance committee on December 19, ahead of the 2017/8 decided.

The mayor blamed predecessor and Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP Boris Johnson for the way things were left, saying his ‘reckless’ decision to cut the police precept has left him with little choice.

Assembly member Gareth Bacon, chairman of the budget and performance committee, said: “The mayor has decided to increase council tax next year to help fund the Met Police.

“He will have to mayor’s budget draft being explain to the London Assembly – and to Londoners – why this is the best way of dealing with the cut in government funding announced last week.”

Scrutinising the Labour mayor, he added: “So far, there are no affordable housebuilding targets and it is now being proposed that the Met’s performance measures should be set at the borough, not London, level.”

Government funding for the Met is due to fall by £17.4 million compared to 2015-16.

The remainder of the mayor’s share of council tax is spent on services such as the London Fire Brigade, the Greater London Authority and transport.