Unfair council tax set to stay under Labour

1.57.53pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 21st Mar 2007

Unfair council tax set to stay under Labour

The long awaited Lyons Report into local government funding has been published. The main findings of the report recommends keeping the current council tax system with a revaluation of bands.The move means that Labour will refuse to 'axe the tax' and keep the unfair council tax which penalises many people in Sheffield.

The report calls for two extra council tax bands at either end of the spectrum - a new band for the most expensive homes and an additional lower one for the cheapest properties. If Labour implement the Lyons Report it will mean no change at all for several years, and then the revaluation of homes, which resulted in high Council Tax rises in Wales.

Lib Dems want to scrap the unpopular Council Tax, and replace it with a tax raised and spent locally that is linked to people's ability to pay.

Councillor Paul Scriven, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: -

"It's taken Labour three years to produce these recommendations which will not bring about an end to the unfair council tax. This means hundreds of pensioners and low-paid families in Sheffield will continue to struggle to pay this unfair tax under Labour"

"The report recommends the revaluation of council tax bands goes ahead. This has already been carried out in Wales where there were far more losers than gainers. In Cardiff for example, 60% of properties went up at least one council tax band. So if revaluation goes ahead people in Sheffield will face an unfair rise in local tax bills, which will not be linked to ability to pay"

"Merely tweaking the current system will do nothing to change the unfairness of the council tax. The whole system needs to be swept away and replaced with a fair scheme based on people's ability to pay"