Political cost of the council tax has been substantial over time say Hemming

11.08.06am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 8th Nov 2005

John Hemming, MP for Birmingham Yardley

Lat night in the House of Commons Liberal Democrat Birmingham Yardley MP John Hemming said "The political cost of the council tax has been substantial over time".

Mr. Hemming said "Part of that has been caused by the continuation of the Conservative Government's policy of increasing council tax by more than inflation. At standard spending, in 1993-94 council tax was £492.66, and in 2002-03 it increased to £769.16. It then changed to the assumed national council tax, putatively £1,000.83, which has increased to £1,101.96. That is a 71.9 per cent. increase in the council tax, while inflation has been 34 per cent."

John Hemming, who is also a Councillor on Birmingham City Council, said "People are surprised when I tell them that the government intentionally drove up the Council Tax. The fact is, however, that the Council Tax at Standard Spending in 1993/4 - which was the governments expected figure - was £492.66. The Assumed National Council Tax is now £1,101,96. There has been a continual drive from civil servants in what is now ODPM to push Council Tax up beyond inflation. We are at the moment wondering what Gordon Brown has up his sleeve. We won't know until later in December, but we are worried that he is intending to push Council Tax - a regressive tax - up yet further".