Conservative MS Natasha Asghar has hit out at Caerphilly Council after figures revealed the authority spent £1.5million on PR in the last two years, despite saddling residents with council tax rises of more than double the rate of inflation.
Last year, Labour councillors increased council tax by 7.9% and are now consulting on a further rise of 6.25% from April 2026.
Spending on communications, media, public relations, and marketing roles in the authority increased by 12% last year to over £800,000.
Natasha Asghar, standing in the new Newport and Islwyn Senedd constituency, has championed value for money for taxpayers and consistently exposed wasteful spending by Labour in both the Welsh Government and local authorities.
Natasha Asghar said: “Families across South Wales are facing cost of living challenges made worse by Labour politicians hiking up taxes because they can’t control public spending.
“Residents want their taxes spent efficiently to run high quality local services not wasted on unnecessary PR roles telling them what a good job the council is doing.
“Every local authority needs a modest communications department to update the public on policy decisions, changes to local services and general public information, but there is no reason to increase the budget for communications when money is tight.
“Residents can see for themselves the potholed and cratered streets, while the council has wasted money on excessive senior pay, faces potential fines for poor recycling rates and now is overseeing expansion of its spin operation.
“Senior Caerphilly councillors need to explain why they are proposing to raise council tax by nearly double the rate of inflation and why their spend on PR seems so wildly out of control.
“Our Welsh Conservative team has a plan to fix Wales, cut wasteful spending, reduce the tax burden and put money back in residents’ pockets.”
