Nearly all London boroughs are raising council tax – with a few exceptions
All 153 top-tier local authorities in England have now confirmed the amount by which they are raising council tax for the financial year 2026/27. Local authorities can increase council tax by as much as 4.99% year on year without the need for a referendum of residents.
For 2026/27, nearly all London boroughs are raising council tax by the maximum allowed 4.99%, with a few exceptions. Barnet is increasing it slightly less at 4.98%, while Merton, Wandsworth, and Westminster are keeping rises much lower at 2.00%. Overall, most of the city’s Labour- and Conservative-led boroughs are sticking close to the cap, reflecting a broadly uniform approach across London.
Here is the full list of confirmed council tax rises for 2026/27 by top-tier local authorities in England.
It covers county councils, London boroughs, metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities. It does not include lower-tier district councils.
The list is divided into four sections, corresponding to the types of top-tier authority, with each section arranged alphabetically.
The political control of each authority is also listed, with details of whether the ruling party runs a majority or minority administration, or if there is a multi-party agreement.
London boroughs
- Barking & Dagenham, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Barnet, Lab May: 4.98%
- Bexley, Con maj: 4.99%
- Brent, Lab May: 4.99%
- Bromley, Con maj: 4.99%
- Camden, Lab May: 4.99%
- City of London, Ind maj: 4.99%
- Croydon, Con min: 4.99%
- Ealing, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Enfield, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Greenwich, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Hackney, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Hammersmith & Fulham, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Haringey, Lab May: 4.99%
- Harrow, Con maj: 4.99%
- Havering, Residents min: 4.99%
- Hillingdon, Con maj: 4.99%
- Hounslow, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Islington, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Kensington & Chelsea, Con May: 4.99%
- Kingston-upon-Thames, Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Lambeth, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Lewisham, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Merton, Lab May: 2.00%
- Newham, Lab May: 4.99%
- Redbridge, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Richmond-upon-Thames, Lib Dem May: 4.99%
- Southwark, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sutton, Lib Dem May: 4.99%
- Tower Hamlets, Aspire maj: 4.99%
- Waltham Forest, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Wandsworth, Lab maj: 2.00%
- Westminster, Lab May: 2.00%
– County councils
- Cambridgeshire (Eastern England), Lib Dem majority: 4.99%
- Derbyshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.90%
- Devon (SW England), Lib Dem minority: 4.99%
- East Sussex (SE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Essex (Eastern England), Con maj: 3.95%
- Gloucestershire (SW England), Lib Dem min: 4.99%
- Hampshire (SE England), With maj: 4.99%
- Hertfordshire (Eastern England), Lib Dem min: 4.99%
- Kent (SE England), Maj Ref: 3.99%
- Lancashire (NW England), Ref maj: 3.80%
- Leicestershire (East Midlands), Ref min: 2.99%
- Lincolnshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 2.90%
- Norfolk (Eastern England), Con maj: 4.99%
- Nottinghamshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 3.99%
- Oxfordshire (SE England), Lib Dem majority: 4.99%
- Staffordshire (West Midlands), Ref maj: 3.99%
- Suffolk (Eastern England), Con maj: 4.99%
- Surrey (SE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Warwickshire (West Midlands), Ref min: 4.40%
- West Sussex (SE England), Previously: 4.99%
- Worcestershire (West Midlands), Ref min: 8.98%
– Metropolitan boroughs
- Barnsley (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 3.40%
- Birmingham (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bolton (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Bradford (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bury (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Calderdale (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Coventry (West Midlands), Lab maj: 3.95%
- Doncaster (Yorkshire & Humber), Ref maj: 2.00%
- Dudley (West Midlands), Con min: 4.99%
- Gateshead (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Kirklees (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab min: 4.99%
- Knowsley (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Leeds (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Liverpool (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Manchester (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Newcastle-upon-Tyne (NE England), Lab min: 4.99%
- North Tyneside (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Oldham (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Rochdale (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Rotherham (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 3.95%
- Salford (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sandwell (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sefton (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sheffield (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab-Lib Dem-Green: 4.99%
- Solihull (West Midlands), Con maj: 4.99%
- South Tyneside (NE England), Lab min: 4.95%
- St Helens (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Stockport (NW England), Lib Min: 4.99%
- Sunderland (NE England), Lab maj: 4.50%
- Tameside (NW England), Lab: 4.99%
- Trafford (NW England), Lab maj: 7.49%
- Wakefield (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Walsall (West Midlands), Con maj: 4.99%
- Wigan (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Wirral (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Wolverhampton (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
– Unitary authorities
- Bath & North East Somerset (SW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Bedford (Eastern England), Con min: 4.99%
- Blackburn with Darwen (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Blackpool (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 6.74%
- Bracknell Forest (SE England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Brighton & Hove (SE England), Lab May: 4.99%
- Bristol (SW England), Green-Lib Dem: 4.99%
- Buckinghamshire (SE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Central Bedfordshire (Eastern England), Ind min: 4.99%
- Cheshire East (NW England), Lab-Ind: 4.99%
- Cheshire West & Chester (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Cornwall (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99%
- Cumberland (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Darlington (NE England), Lab-Lib Dem: 4.99%
- Derby (East Midlands), Lab min: 4.99%
- Dorset (SW England), Lib Dem-Green: 4.99%
- Durham (NE England), Maj Ref: 1.99%
- East Riding of Yorkshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.99%
- Halton (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Hartlepool (NE England), Lab maj: 1.98%
- Herefordshire (West Midlands), Con min: 4.99%
- Hull (Yorkshire & Humber), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Isle of Wight (SE England), Ind-Green: 4.99%
- Isles of Scilly (SW England), Ind: 4.99%
- Leicester (East Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Luton (Eastern England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Medway (SE England), Lab May: 4.99%
- Middlesbrough (NE England), Lab maj: 2.00%
- Milton Keynes (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- North East Lincolnshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.50%
- North Lincolnshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con maj: 4.70%
- North Northamptonshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.99%
- North Somerset (SW England), Lab-Lib Dem-Green-Ind: 8.99%
- North Yorkshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.99%
- Northumberland (NE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Nottingham (East Midlands), Lab maj: 3.50%
- Peterborough (Eastern England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Plymouth (SW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Portsmouth (SE England), Lib Dem min: 4.99%
- Reading (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Redcar & Cleveland (NE England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Rutland (East Midlands), Lib Dem min: 2.00%
- Shropshire (West Midlands), Lib Dem maj: 8.99%
- Slough (SE England), With min: 4.99%
- Somerset (SW England), Lib Dem May: 4.99%
- South Gloucestershire (SW England), Lib Dem-Lab: 4.99%
- Southampton (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Southend-on-Sea (Eastern England), Lab-Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99%
- Stockton-on-Tees (NE England), Lab min: 4.95%
- Stoke-on-Trent (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Swindon (SW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Telford & Wrekin (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Thurrock (Eastern England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Torbay (SW England), Con min: 4.99%
- Warrington (NW England), Math Lab: 7.48%
- West Berkshire (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- West Northamptonshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.95%
- Westmorland & Furness (NW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Wiltshire (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99%
- Windsor & Maidenhead (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 7.49%
- Wokingham (SE England), Lib Dem May: 4.99%
- York (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
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