Unfair Council Tax continues to rise

5.13.39pm GMT Tue 25th Oct 2005

Following predictions from the Local Government Association that council tax will rise by an average of 7% next year, the Liberal Democrats have revealed the impact this will have on council tax bills across England. Householders in the East and West Midlands will see their average council tax bill rises to over £1000 a year for the first time.

Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat ODPM Spokesperson, said "Council Tax gets worse every year. These figures show this unfair tax simply cannot go on. Labour has opted out of reforming Council Tax, and the Conservatives still think it's a fair system. But with pensioners already prepared to go to prison rather than pay, large increases in Council Tax next year could spark a serious rebellion, like the one that overturned the Poll Tax. Council Tax penalises pensioners and the low paid. It's time to scrap this unfair tax and replace it with a fair local income tax based on ability to pay."