Senior Swindon Conservative councillors have poured scorn on Sir Keir Starmer’s claim that councils would freeze council tax increases under a Labour government.

Launching Labour’s campaign for the local elections on May 4 in Swindon on Thursday, he said a Labour government would make local authorities freeze the amount they charge council tax payers, and make up any shortfall with money raised by a windfall tax on energy companies’ record profits.

But borough council deputy leader Gary Sumner, in a response endorsed by council leader David Renard said: “Sir Keir Starmer trying to make out that council tax would be frozen under a Labour council is fundamentally misleading.  

“The council tax for April 2023-24 was voted on by all councillors and every single Labour councillor present voted to increase council tax.  

“If Swindon Labour were to somehow take control of the council, I for one, will be ensuring that they are held accountable for the most misleading message ever given during a Swindon election campaign.  

“The reality is that if Labour do take control of the council the only way they could freeze council tax would be to pass an emergency budget and to reverse the increase they only just voted for.  

“Each 1 per cent of extra council tax equates to £1.2million of income for the council, so Labour would have to reduce the budget by £6 million.  

“If anyone voting Labour thinks their council tax won’t be going up, they are going to be disappointed.  

Many residents remember all too well when Labour put up council tax 42 per cent in just three years while running one of the worst councils in the country.”

Sir Keir’s claim was that if Labour were in government then council tax would be frozen at the level set for 2022-23 and not go up on April 1.

In Swindon that increase is 4.99 per cent – meaning that the money paid by an average Band D household just for the borough council’s services will go up by £76.65  year. There were also increases levied by Wiltshire Police, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service and,  in most areas of Swindon, parish councils.

Such a nationally-mandated freeze of council tax to the 22-23 level is impossible as it would need Labour to have been in power in Westminster before increases were agreed by councils around the country in February.

Elections for 19 council seats out of 57 in the council chamber will be held on May 4.