Conservative and Independent Councillors in Powys have blocked a fully costed plan from Welsh Labour that would have frozen Council Tax for residents this year.

Powys County Council’s Welsh Labour Councillors demanded a Council Tax freeze to help struggling families through the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis.

At the County Council’s annual budget meeting on Thursday 24^th February Welsh Labour set out fully costed plans to enable the Council to set a balanced and legal budget that would freeze Council Tax bills for 2022/23.

Welsh Labour’s budget amendment succeeded with support from Welsh Liberal Democrats, Action for Powys and others, but it was blocked at the final stage when the ruling Conservative and Independent Councillors voted it down.

Labour Group Leader, Councillor Matthew Dorrance, said:

 

“Families in Powys are facing an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. Energy, food, and fuel are all rocketing, and that’s causing hardship in our communities.

 

“It is because of these exceptional circumstances that we put forward a costed plan to freeze Council Tax.

 

“It’s deeply disappointing that Conservative and Independent Councillors would not support hard pressed families, but we are on the side of residents and our communities.”

 

Cllr David Thomas, Labour Finance Spokesperson, said:

 

“It is shameful that Conservative and Independent Councillors clubbed together to vote down a properly costed and balanced plan to freeze Council Tax for residents in Powys.

 

“The Council can’t keep asking people to pay more and get less, especially because everyone is feeling the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

“The Conservative and Independent-run Council is failing residents. They are out of touch with our communities and their time is up.”