𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

But while hard-pressed families tighten their belts in a deepening cost of living crisis, big spending councils are refusing to cut waste and opting to hammer motorists instead.

Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden MP said: “Behind closed doors, a secret plot is unfolding that would drive through huge increases in parking fines, which could be up to 700 per cent.”

The money grab comes as debt-ridden Labour councils blow millions on vanity projects whilst crying poverty. Debt-stricken, Labour-run Blackpool Council splashed £35,000 on rainbow road crossings in Pride flag colours to celebrate the town’s “long-established LGBTQ+ history.”

Labour-run Camden Council, which can boast Sir Keir as a ratepayer, spent almost £11,000 on taxi fares for its mayor and deputy mayor, despite employing a full-time chauffeur. Sir Keir’s local town hall overspent its budget by a staggering £22.8million in the 2024-25 financial year.

Early last year the Government confirmed it was actively considering raising parking fines, even as a host of councils across the country hikes charges, including in Bournemouth where Ministers trialled a one-month pilot to increase fines to levels only seen in London.

In a move that senior Tories branded a ‘cover-up’, Labour Ministers twice refused to come clean and release the information to MPs.

Parliament was kept in the dark until Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden MP forced the issue with a point of order in the Commons, prompting a humiliating climbdown, a correction and a formal apology from the Department for Transport.

The documents finally released paint a bleak picture of councils leaning ever more heavily on penalties to prop up their budgets.

A staggering 70% of councils report motorists regularly receiving and paying multiple fines, often 20 to 30 or more, with some drivers openly treating penalties as cheap parking fees. Meanwhile, 46% of councils have increased standard parking charges to cover the rising cost of enforcement, meaning that compliant motorists are now absorbing the financial burden left by repeat offenders.

Labour now finds itself caught between left-wing councils demanding more revenue from drivers and Ministers trying to pretend none of it is happening. Mr Holden said that Labour Ministers “wanted to hide” the Labour council plotting. He said: “Once again, drivers are being taken for a ride, and everyone knows it. Keir Starmer doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to his own left-wing councils or to be honest with the public about what they’re planning. They need to come clean about who’s really pushing for higher fines.

He added: “Labour in town halls, Labour in Whitehall, it’s the same story every time. Lose control of the finances, panic, then go after working people to fill the gap.”

The scandal comes as parking enforcement has surged to record levels, with councils and private firms requesting driver details from the DVLA 44.8million times in 2024-25. exceeding the 33million registered vehicles on UK roads. Eight of the 10 councils making the most requests are Labour-run, with Birmingham topping the list with 831,860 requests.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “These claims are false. The parking sector has provided evidence on current fine levels, which we will carefully consider and respond to in due course.”