Council approves 9% tax hike after furious debate

Council tax is set to rise by almost 9% in Worcestershire after a marathon eight-hour meeting that prompted angry exchanges.

Reform-led Worcestershire County Council approved its 2026-27 budget, with the tax rise from April adding about £145 a year to Band D bills, but only after the entire Lib-Dem group stormed out and two Labour members left early.

The meeting also included the deletion of some unfilled jobs, and followed central government awarding the authority £59m in emergency support to enable it to avoid effective bankruptcy.

The opposition Conservative group called the 9% settlement "scandalous", but Reform leader Jo Monk said they were saving the authority from "financial collapse".

Councillors from all parties repeatedly heckled and blamed each other for the council's financial problems, with chief executive Paul Robinson having to intervene at one point to ask them to "stay calm".

By the time they staged their walkout the Lib Dems had secured £21m in new spending commitments from the Reform leadership including investment into rural roads, drainage clearance, flooding alleviation and new cycle routes.

The council is also withdrawing vacant job posts in areas like IT, finance and HR as part of a plan to save £9m over the next 12 months.

Monk blamed the previous Tory administration - which she was then a part of - for the financial position, telling the chamber she had felt "gagged" as a Conservative.

"I know [raising council tax] hurts, it hurts many of us in this chamber who also pay council tax," said.

"But this is the responsible choice. This is about preventing the financial failure of this council."

The authority was under Tory rule for 20 years until last year, with Reform councillors saying their predecessors had "deliberately kept council tax low", even in the face of worsening finances.

However, Tory group leader councillor Adam Kent - who had brought a 5,000-name petition against the tax rise - called it "scandalous", adding: "We can see what Reform are, a high tax, clueless group.

"This is not strategic leadership, it's financial irresponsibility and the residents of Worcestershire will pay for it."

Lib Dem group leader Dan Boatright-Greene countered: "The Conservatives left a legacy of failure - you did this, you made this, so own it."

He then said he had "no confidence in Reform either" before his group left the chamber, having earlier secured support for the seven budget amendments.

A report before councillors warned that £9m in savings for 2026-27 was "nowhere near enough" to stabilise the finances, and said up to £99m in emergency government funding may be needed next year without major service reforms.

The 2026-27 net budget includes £618m to run services, as well as capital investment in the Shrub Hill Quarter in Worcester.

The budget will also finance the upgrade of the A38 in Bromsgrove, provide £2.7m for boosting broadband connectivity and £500,000 to expand the car park at Worcestershire Parkway.

By 2028, the authority is set to be dissolved under plans for local government reorganisation, and replaced by either one or two new unitary councils.

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