Gideon reacts to Council Tax news

Somerset Council has confirmed council tax will rise by no more than the 4.99% norm across the country following intense lobbying and the announcement of some limited extra financial support for the county by the Government.

The news will come as a relief after a much higher tax increase was projected by the Government’s provisional settlement.

After months of lobbying, I of course welcome the government announcing it is relieving councils of 90% of the special educational needs and disability debts they’ve been forced to build up and the additional funding for housing and homelessness in Somerset announced yesterday.

But this is only help at the margins. This Government, by standing by their removal of the remoteness uplift show they really don’t understand the real issues faced here in rural Somerset. The result is a still underfunded social care system with council taxpayers having to bail out a system that requires two out of every three pounds of Somerset Council’s budget.

I am still reviewing the details ahead of a debate in Parliament tomorrow.