THIS may not find favour with families so hard-pressed by the rising cost of living, but is it responsible for Oxfordshire County Council to freeze council tax while crucial services are cut?

No-one will volunteer to pay any tax rise. But there is an almighty political whiff around this “freeze”.

The coalition Government will pay Oxfordshire County Council the equivalent of 2.5 per cent of its council tax if it does not increase its precept, but this is just political smoke and mirrors.

Oxfordshire’s ruling councillors had already made a pledge not to raise their tax demand this year.

To push ahead with no rise in the tax while slashing services is deeply irresponsible.

If the Government is sitting on the equivalent of 2.5 per cent of the council’s precept then that is money it has already taken off the taxpayer – so no gain to your wallet there.

That money should be handed over to councils to lessen the burden of the cuts automatically, not dolled out as some political sweetener when so many services are being axed.

Saying you’ve frozen council tax is a grand political statement, but just explore the figures. Oxfordshire is forecasting it will receive £282.7m in the 2011-12 financial year through its council tax precept.

A one per cent rise would mean people in a Band D property paying an extra 22p a week or £11.61 over the year, while a two per cent rise would mean 44p a week or £23.23 over the year — not huge sums.

But for the council it would mean an extra £5.65m to play with. That, over four years, would mean 60 per cent of the £37m cuts in adult services would not have to happen.

And then add in this 2.5 per cent of YOUR money the Government is sitting on under this grant scheme (in Oxfordshire’s case £7m) and suddenly the financial picture is a lot different.

This is politically shameful.