Sir Keir Starmer is set to impose monthly bin collections, shrink the size of bins and use microchips to monitor what people are throwing away in England. This stark warning comes from Shadow Local Government Secretary Kevin Hollinrake who has been alarmed by the Prime Minister looking to copy the over-zealous policies of the Welsh Labour Government.

It comes as a Conservative MP in Birmingham said the Government’s bin plans could mean the whole country suffered the same fate as the Labour-run city, where industrial action left rubbish piled in the streets and brought a rat infestation. Sir Keir has described the Welsh administration as a “blueprint for what Labour can do across the UK”. The punitive bin plans are set out in a Welsh government document called Collections Blueprint 2025, which urges councils to “reduce the frequency of collection” of non-recyclable waste.

Mr Hollinrake said: “In Keir Starmer’s own words, Wales is Labour’s blueprint for government. Today Wales, tomorrow England.

“This is a testing ground for monthly bin collections, along with cuts to the sizes of bins, bin chips spying on households and bin bully fines for over-zealous rules.

“This is the sign of things to come in England. Labour Ministers have already revoked Conservative guidance to stop three weekly or monthly bin collections, and ditched our plans to stop the abuse of town hall fining powers for innocent mistakes.

“At the same time, council tax is going through the roof – with a predicted £700 bombshell in higher tax over the next three years.

“Under Labour, council taxpayers pay more and get less leaving hardworking families to pay the price.”

Labour at Westminster has already scrapped a policy of ensuring councils in England collect black bin waste at least fortnightly, which was introduced by the Conservative government last year.

This was replaced in November by a statement saying councils are free to “decide collection frequency and methodology for collecting the residual (non-recyclable waste) and dry recyclable waste streams, and do so in a way that meets local needs and provides value for money for the taxpayer”.

The Welsh document sets out a range of measures designed to stop households producing non-recyclable waste, known as residual waste.

It stated: “Collection once every three to four weeks is sufficient and more frequent collection should be avoided” and noted that most Welsh councils have already moved to this.

Others have limited collections “by introducing smaller wheeled bins, or by limiting the number of sacks of waste that can be presented.”

It suggested councils “reduce the size of residual waste containers used – principally wheeled bins”.

The document also suggested councils “consider onboard weighing for data collection for residual collections.”

And it urged councils to fine people who break the rules, saying: “Residual waste policies should be actively enforced.”

Sir Andrew Mitchell, MP for Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, said: “In the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield we suffer under Labour Birmingham so not only has our rubbish not been collected but we are now told that collections will be reduced to once a fortnight.

“In spite of charging £62 for collecting garden waste, they are collecting none of it nor our recycling either.

“We learnt the hard way about how awful Labour local government can be. Sadly the country is now suffering the same experience from a Labour Government.”

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “This criticism is rich coming from the party who slashed local authority budgets during their time in government.

“The Welsh Government’s Collections Blueprint guidance has been a core part of our success in making Wales the second-best country in the world for recycling.

“And this year when the Welsh Labour Government put forward a budget that saw extra cash for our Welsh local authorities, the Tories tried to block it by voting against it.”

Average Band D council tax in England rose by £109 this year, and the Government’s spending review predicted a 5% yearly rise in council tax in England from 2025-26 to 2028-29.