Cardiff council should protect our services by making full use of its power to levy a council tax premium.

‘Twelve years of Westminster austerity will not be stopped by a new Conservative prime minister. Cardiff council’s cabinet has estimated next year’s budget gap at £53m, on top of the cuts it has already made.

The cabinet paper proposes yet more “savings that impact on service delivery”. Cardiff council should protect our services. It could raise money by making full use of its power to levy a council tax premium. Stats Wales estimates the city has 1,395 long-term empty homes and 3,385 second homes on which this could be charged. But Cardiff has been more reluctant to use this power than other Welsh councils.

Welsh Government has now increased the maximum premium councils can charge to 300%. If Cardiff levied this on all eligible homes, it could raise up to £20m next year. Council should stop hesitating; our city needs that money.

If owners sell their properties rather than pay, that will increase the supply of homes to ease Cardiff’s housing shortage. Either way, the people of the city gain. Why will council not act?’