Cardiff Conservatives: “Labour’s plans to charge parking at work is another jobs tax”

Conservative councillors in Cardiff have labelled plans initiated by the Labour-run local authority of a continuation of the national government’s war on work.

Cardiff Council’s political leadership has confirmed its desire to press ahead with plans for a workplace parking levy whereby employees will have to pay a tax for the privilege of parking their vehicle at their place of work.

It comes on top of changes from the Labour Government in Westminster since 2024 including passing the Employment Rights Act, increasing in National Insurance Contributions, and failing to tackle rising energy costs which have hiked costs and regulations on businesses of all sizes, leading to higher unemployment and benefit claims, especially among young people.

It follows news that Labour has dropped plans for a congestion charge in city after the Conservative led opposition to it. However, Labour said they would introduce one shortly before the last local election in 2022, only to put the matter on table weeks after the vote. The party has said the new levy would not be implemented until 2028, a year after the next council election.

Like the ill-fated congestion charge, details on the scheme’s operational scope are scarce and face the hurdle of recurring new Welsh Government legislation to legalise it.

Cllr John Lancaster, the Conservative representative on the Environment Committee that will examine the plans, is concerned that a workplace parking levy would:

• Negatively impact low-paid workers the most due to the proposed flat rate charged as well as those who have no choice but to be physically present for their work;

• Have a confused objective as the policy seeks to lower congestion but requires the income generated by congestion to fund its desired public transport improvements, another stated goal of the scheme; and

• Be extremely difficult to police to the point where operational costs exceed the funds raised, as the Council’s already stretched regulatory enforcement arm will need to distinguish between employee and customer parking.

Commenting, Cllr John Lancaster, who is also Cardiff Council’s Conservative group leader,  added:

“Like workers across the city, Cardiff Conservatives are deeply concerned about Labour’s obsessions with taxing workers and punishing drivers to the extent where jobs and wages take a huge hit – and this workplace parking levy is no exception.

“Local Conservative councillors who work hard for our communities are proud to have led the fight against the congestion charge – and even prouder that we have won that battle, even if Labour will keep that card in their pocket if they want for later.

“Again, we oppose this scheme that seeks to make life more difficult for working people and families, all to perpetuate the anti-car agenda Labour love so much – and it has not gone unnoticed that the Plaid government has refused to guarantee the same level of transport project funding for Cardiff should this scheme that they also support go ahead.

“Only the Conservatives are standing up for workers, drivers, and common sense in Cardiff. We are on their side in a way nobody else because we understand the value of work and the need to create wealth to generate the income that funds public services in the first place.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors: Please find attached image of Cllr John Lancaster for use with this release.