A POLITICAL row at county hall erupted on Tuesday as members of Surrey County Council’s Tory-dominated Cabinet unanimously approved a tax hike of 15 per cent - subject to a referendum on May 4 - to be ratified by Full Council next Tuesday.

Liberal Democrat county councillors have condemned the proposal for an increase nine times the rate of inflation and launched a petition opposing the increase and calling on the government to properly fund social care as a national service.

The petition at https://signme.org.uk/1304 has already been signed by hundreds of Surrey residents.

“A ‘yes’ vote will add a 15 per cent increase a year to bills for Band D properties and will still result in millions of pounds worth of cuts to essential services,” the petition states. “A ‘no’ vote will result in even more damaging cuts which is why Liberal Democrats have consistently called for a more appropriate level of funding from central government to the County Council to help avoid large cuts to vital services for Surrey residents.

“Signing the petition will send a message to the Conservative administration at County Hall and the central government that this council tax rise is unfair, unaffordable and not the way in which to address a national crisis in the funding of adult social care.”