London council tax frozen or cut as town halls gear up for elections

An analysis by the Standard shows that only four councils in the capital — one Lib-Dem and three Tory — are putting up the tax.

Kingston, which regularly sets the highest tax in the country, has the biggest increase at 2.4 per cent, followed by Bromley on 1.24 per cent, Croydon on 1.07 per cent and Bexley on 1.02 per cent.

They all blamed the rises on the fact they received lower-than-average central government grants but still had to provide essential services. Richmond, however, has the lowest settlement in the capital and still managed to freeze the tax.

Experts warned that the unprecedented freeze across London would put services such as arts and leisure, roads and local housing at risk. Thousands of council workers could also lose their jobs as boroughs tighten their belts.

Four Tory councils have managed to cut council tax, led by Hammersmith and Fulham, which is reducing it by three per cent for the fourth year running.

Wandsworth, Havering and Merton councils — also Tory-run — will all deliver a small reduction in the tax.

The councils claim that so-called efficiency savings and prudent financial management have allowed them to keep council tax down and frontline services will not be hit.

But they have already completed five years of efficiency savings under the Gershon review so it is unclear how much more belt tightening they can do without cutting back.

Gerry Stoker, professor of governance at the University of Southampton, said: "Local authorities have been boasting about efficiency savings for the last five years so inevitably there are now going to be significant cuts, and these will be experienced by the frontline services."

For the first time all of London's Labour councils — Barking and Dagenham, Lambeth, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham, Greenwich and Haringey — are simultaneously freezing council tax amid fears of being swamped by a "blue tide" at the general and local elections.

David Cameron has announced that a Tory government would help all boroughs freeze the tax for two years.

The Tories are also hoping that Boris Johnson's decision to freeze his share of the council tax precept for police, fire and other services shows they can offer good value for money.

London is expected to be the only city in Britain to see no increase for most of its residents.