See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy MARTIN BECKFORD, POLICY EDITOR Published: 22:03 BST, 26 August 2026 | Updated: 22:03 BST, 26 August 2026
Leaders of a flagship town hall forced to consider record council tax hikes are to challenge how little money they have been given by the Government.The Conservatives who took back control of Wandsworth Council from Labour earlier this year could go directly to ministers over the 40 per cent cut to its funding.They met senior Tories including party chairman Kevin Hollinrake and Shadow Communities Secretary Sir James Cleverly on Wednesday to discuss what action they can take.Residents will be consulted first before a formal appeal to the Government is made, which if rejected could be followed by an approach by the Local Government Association that represents councils across the country.Without more money for local services, the town hall long famed for its low council tax could be forced to increase households' bills by a record 160 per cent next year.It comes as voters in the south London borough go to the polls on Thursday in a by-election in a single ward that would give the Tories an outright majority if they win.Party leader Kemi Badenoch campaigned in the area last week and accused the defeated Labour administration of leaving the council with a 'historic' £137million budget black hole.As the Mail reported last week, the Labour leader was also accused of wasting thousands of pounds on a rebranding exercise including £700 on a door sign. Wandsworth Council's deputy leader Cllr Peter Graham showing the £700 door sign purchased by the former Labour administration Wandsworth Conservatives told the PoliticsHome website: 'The previous Labour administration in Wandsworth failed to stand up for local residents, choosing instead to roll over while the Labour government cut 40 per cent of Wandsworth's funding. That decision has real consequences for our borough and unfairly punishes Wandsworth residents.'Wandsworth Conservatives will always stand up for our residents. That is why we have officially launched a challenge to the decision taken by the Labour government.'We will not sit back and accept a funding settlement that leaves Wandsworth residents worse off. We will continue to fight for a fair deal for our borough and the funding it deserves.'And a Conservative Party spokesman said: 'We regularly meet with Conservative council leaders across the country to discuss the issues facing their communities.'Labour have slashed funding for these councils only to hand the money to badly run Labour councils elsewhere.'It is only right that, in the face of this Labour government's determination to impose huge and vindictive council tax rises, we meet with them to discuss how we can work together to oppose Labour's council tax raid.'A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'We have consulted extensively on reforming the outdated council funding system to ensure money goes where it is most needed, following on from a long-standing consensus. 'We're also protecting councils through transitional arrangements so no area faces a cliff edge.'
