The Government has attacked claims that restructuring could send council tax bills through the roof as ‘scaremongering'. Conservative local government spokesman, Eric Pickles, said households could see their council tax bills rise by £345 to fund the move to unitary local government. Mr Pickles said: ‘Restructuring will do nothing to improve local services and would make town halls more distant from local people.' But a DCLG spokesman said: ‘Claims that local authority restructuring will lead to tax increases are wrong, irresponsible and scaremongering.' Local Government Association chairman, Lord Bruce-Lockhart, has warned councils could be forced to withdraw basic care for the elderly unless Whitehall made more funds available.
