THE leader of Harrow Council stunned opposition councillors when he said that there was no level of council tax increase which he would regard as unacceptably high.

At a meeting of the full council on Thursday last week, Councillor Archie Foulds was asked by the deputy leader of the Conservative group, Councillor David Ashton, if there was a limit above which the tax could not go.

He replied "No", and sat down.

Councillor Ashton said he was amazed that there was no level at which Councillor Foulds could say "enough is enough".

But after the meeting, a spokesman for the Labour group said that the issue was that the council would never impose a tax increase that the Government would cap.

"What we don't want to happen to Harrow is that we propose a budget which we've costed out, planned and presented to the public, and then the Government stops us and reduces it," he said.

"We would not start a budget which would get the Government to take action against us like that.

"The Government has not given us a figure for what that increase would be, but we have to listen to statements from the Local Government Minister, Nick Rainsford."

During the meeting, Councillor Foulds attacked the Harrow Council Tax Campaign and this newspaper's support for it.

"It's very easy to run a campaign saying 'let's not increase taxes'," he said. "It's easy to sign a petition.

"But if you were to bring the rise in tax down to the rate of inflation, do you know the kind of service cuts this council would have to make? For every one per cent, it would cost £70,000.

"Has the Harrow Times got any suggestions where this money is coming from? No!

"We are actually a very low spender in this borough."