A Hitchin councillor has slammed our town's MP after people in our area have been among hardest hit by stealth tax rise.

More than 5,500 people across the Hitchin and Harpenden constituency have been dragged into a higher rate of tax following a recent report on the freezing of income tax threshold bands - which are costing squeezed-middle households.

Liberal Democrats Hitchin and Harpenden parliamentary candidate Sam Collins has criticised Bim Afolami MP for voting to hike taxes 13 times in Parliament.

Mr Collins criticised Mr Afolami for breaking Tory election promise not to raise taxes, saying during this Parliament, Afolami has voted 13 times in favour of higher taxes on families and small businesses.

Mr Collins said: "This will come as a hammer blow to local people who are struggling to keep up with spiralling bills. 

"In the coming days it will be announced that energy bills will rise to over £3,000 a year, and these tax hikes will add more salt to the wound. 

"It has been disappointing to see our local Conservative MP break his promises to our community and vote in favour of these tax hikes time and time again. Every tax hike hurts families, pensioners and businesses in Hitchin & Harpenden in the middle of a cost of living crisis. 

"Squeezed-middle families in our area need help instead of these grossly unfair tax hikes. That is why I'm calling for a VAT cut to help people at the shopping tills and petrol pumps. It is time to immediately cut prices with a tax cut that actually helps hard-working people and struggling pensioners."

The analysis shows that Hitchin and Harpenden constituency had 13,500 higher rate taxpayers in 2020 but now, due to the Government's changes to tax, there are now 18,950 paying higher tax.  

Hitchin and Harpenden ranks at number 21 for the increase in higher rate taxpayers - that's in the top 5 per cent worst hit constituencies in the UK.

The changes nationally mean there are a projected 5.5 million higher rate income tax payers in the tax year 2022 to 2023, which is a 44 per cent increase compared to 2019 to 2020.

Mr Afolami has been contacted for comment.