North East Councillors Face Court for Unpaid Council Tax

At least eight sitting councillors across North East England, including in Newcastle and County Durham, have been issued court summons for non-payment of council tax since 2022, with reminder letters also sent out in Gateshead and Northumberland. The councils involved have refused to disclose the identities of the councillors, citing privacy concerns, despite previous legal rulings suggesting a public interest in transparency when officials default on tax payments. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has challenged these decisions and has uncovered the data through freedom of information requests, though some councils have failed to respond within legal deadlines. Councillors are responsible for setting council tax rates and are legally barred from voting on related matters if in arrears by more than two months. While some of the arrears have since been cleared, the issue has raised questions about accountability and transparency in local government. The LDRS investigation continues to seek further disclosures from the authorities involved.