Communities secretary, Eric Pickles, has used an annual survey of council tax rises to attack Labour councils' spending cuts – while local government leaders urged him to reconsider plans for local referenda on the issue.

Speaking as the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) survey revealed a 35p drop in average Band D council tax – to £1438.87 – compared with last year, Mr Pickles said: ‘It is disgraceful that [Labour leader] Ed Miliband's shadow ministers oppose this council tax freeze, and his Labour councils are revelling in politically-motivated and cynical cuts to frontline services.'