Council Tax Tinkering Means No Improvement For Vale Residents

4.52.18pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 27th Mar 2007

The Lyons Review of local government finance has delivered a 'do nothing' conclusion, calling for Council Tax to be changed slightly rather than scrapped. The government's response has been to shelve the report for years to come, putting off even the small changes which have been proposed.

Vale Liberal Democrats have called for Council Tax to be replaced with a fairer charge, reducing the burden on people with lower and fixed incomes, including most pensioners. The Vale's Council Tax has been kept as low as possible since 1995 to ensure it does not unfairly burden residents in the district. The Vale only receives around 8% of the total amount collected. The other 92% goes mainly to the County Council but also to Thames Valley Police Authority and Town and Parish Councils.

Cllr Tony de Vere said: "This report, delivered after three years of research, has completely failed to address the problem of Council Tax, which is that it is unfair and not based on the ability of residents to pay. Council Tax hits those on lower and middle incomes far more than it hits better off households. It is one of the most unpopular, bureaucratic and expensive systems for paying for local council services. Yet, instead of wholesale change to this unpopular tax, the Lyons Review has just tinkered to try to reduce its worst aspects.

"Council Tax was created by the Conservatives after the disaster of the poll tax but it did nothing to make local taxation fairer. The system is beyond repair: instead of trying to mend it, the government must sweep it away. The Tories should admit that their idea has failed and accept that a Local Income Tax would be much fairer for residents."