It was reported earlier this year that 16 serving Lambeth councillors have, at one point or another, received a summons for non-payment of council tax. Thanks to a freedom of information request submitted by Local Conservatives, we can now reveal that half of these sixteen councillors have actually received a summons whilst serving as councillors. Now we know that none of the Conservative councillors in Lambeth are amongst those who have received a summons. However, Lambeth is still refusing to divulge the names of those councillors who have.
We believe this position is indefensible if the public is to have any trust in its elected representatives. With Lambeth councillors responsible for setting some of the highest tax rates in London, we need to know if, at the same time, they have sought to avoid their own obligations to pay council tax. Chairman of Vauxhall Conservatives, James Bellis, commented, “This latest information is truly shocking. We do not believe that an individual who seeks to avoid tax whilst holding elected office is fit to hold such office and we will continue with our efforts to expose the full extent of this scandal”.