Tory and Labour Councillors in Redbridge, raise council tax.

9.00.00am GMT Mon 23rd Mar 2009

At a stormy Council meeting to set the Council Tax, Tory and Labour councillors joined together to raise the Council Tax to over 2 percent, one of the highest increases in London, despite having over £12m in reserve. This took place in a heated Council meeting where Labour councillors were cheered by their Tory counterparts. The Liberal Democrat councillors argued that families across the borough are suffering from falling incomes and rising prices and proposed that through small reductions in balances the council tax should be frozen. The Liberal Democrat budget did not include the hike in parking charges agreed by both Tory and Labour. Local campaigner Kate Garrett says: 'The only sensible opposition on Redbridge Council is the Liberal Democrats'