Sadiq Khan accused of treating Londoners like ATMs after unveiling tax increase

SADIQ Khan was accused of treating Londoners like walking ATMs as he unveiled plans to increase council tax.

The Labour Mayor announced a 8.6 per cent rise in the “precept” that is added to bills to pay for City Hall services.

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Mr Khan said the hike is needed to provide urgent funding to police and public services after the Government’s failure to properly fund the Metropolitan Police Service, Transport for London and the London Fire Brigade.

But Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall blasted Mr Khan for “raising his council tax by over 70 percent since he was elected”, all while splurging on spin doctors and PR stunts.

The increase, which amounts to £37.26 a year for average Band D properties for 2024-25, comes as part of his budget proposals for the next financial year.

This would mean that typical households would pay just over £471 to the Greater London Authority – almost £200 more than when Mr Khan was elected Mayor of London in 2016.

Ms Hall said: “Sadiq Khan is treating Londoners like walking cash machines, wasting money on spin doctors and PR stunts, while raising his council tax by over 70 per cent since he was elected.

“He’s already fleecing Londoners with his unfair ULEZ expansion, raking in millions off the backs of the lowest earners.

“We cannot afford another four years of Sadiq Khan.”

Tory MP Nickie Aiken (Cities of London and Westminster) also told The Sun: “The reason for the Khan’s huge tax cut is purely down to his utter mismanagement of every service under his control.

“He likes to blame everyone else when he should take a long hard look in the mirror and admit he’s unfit to be Mayor.

“Londoners deserve so much better.”

Mr Khan said about his proposal: “The last thing I want to do is increase council tax, but against the backdrop of the Government’s refusal to provide enough support for London’s essential public services, I have no viable alternative but to use all the levers at my disposal to provide urgent funding from City Hall, particularly for the police.”

In London, a Band D household is an average or typical property against which council tax rates are often measured and compared.

The Greater London Authority Band D precept was £276 when Mr Khan became Mayor.