Tory leader David Cameron’s promise of a two-year council tax freeze would harm housing, schools and social services for elderly and vulnerable people at Kingston Council, the ruling Liberal Democrats have claimed.

Under spells with both parties, Kingston Council has seen the largest rise in council tax in the country since 1997 with some bills rising from £641 to £1,580 in that time.

Leader of the council Derek Osbourne slammed the proposals saying: “In Kingston, with inflation at 4.7 per cent we could only freeze council tax by cutting vital services and we would be forced to put up council tax in the following years to pay for it.

“Schools, housing, the elderly and vulnerable would be affected - we have little information how this would be funded and the truth is that the Tories would be likely to withhold some existing grants in order to pay for it.”

He argued the present system of council tax was unfair and reform was needed.

Kingston Council has a budget of £348m with debts of £162.5m and is paying back £6.5m a year.

At the party conference shadow chancellor George Osborne said the freeze would be paid for from cuts to Whitehall consultancy fees and advertising budgets as well as from savings by local authorities themselves.

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