On Friday 30th January at a lively public meeting hosted by the Bradford on Avon Senior Citizens’ Forum, Duncan Hames, the Liberal Democrat prospective MP for the area, spoke on the issue of Council Tax alongside representatives of the other parties. While the Labour and Conservatives representatives defended Council Tax in accordance with their parties’ policies, Duncan
Hames denounced the impact of Council Tax on people with low and fixed incomes as “wholly unfair” and called for the introduction of a system based on people’s ability to pay.
Duncan said:
“In these difficult times, many local people find themselves on a fixed or reduced income facing a rising Council Tax bill. The Council Tax is unfair, and costly to collect. The revaluation exercise, now postponed until after the General Election, would add millions to the cost of running this deservedly hated tax. Sadly, as we learnt tonight, the Conservative Party and their candidate for our area agree with the Labour Government and want to keep the Council Tax. Only the Liberal Democrats have a practical
alternative that would end the misery of a local tax that many people simply have no ability to pay.”
Speaking after the meeting, Duncan said:
“I’d like to thank the Bradford on Avon Senior Citizens’ Forum for hosting this debate. It was a great chance to hear local residents’ views on Council Tax, and for their parliamentary candidates to be put on the spot on their policies. It was pretty clear that, apart from the Conservative and Labour speakers, there were very few people in the room in favour of keeping things as they are.”
So, are you an LITer or an LVTer?
That is the question.
Anton, thanks for your question. LIT for now, at least. I recognise that Land Value Taxation has a lot to offer as an alternative to existing mechanisms of taxation. The are compelling arguments for it in specific locations where major government intervention, especially in transport infrastructure, delivers windfalls of unearned income for a privileged few with large property interests. However, it would be a complex reform of our taxation system which would take a long time to introduce competently and lacks the simplicity and efficiency of utilising the existing income tax system to save people now from the hardship and unfairness of the hated Council Tax.
Haha – check out the SLP then. (Click the link in my name). We found a way of reforming Council tax that appears to be quite popular, and even some of the staunchest opponents of LVT have been taken in by it.