Lib Dems call on Leeds City Council to back abolition of the Council Tax

12.11.52pm GMT Thu 4th Dec 2003

The Audit Commission's condemnation of Labour's 'Council Tax, and its funding arrangements for local councils, which it describes as having "fundamental flaws", comes at a particularly opportune moment for Leeds City Council. At their next full meeting, on the 14th January, the Council will have the opportunity to debate a White Paper motion on the issue, submitted by the Liberal Democrat Group.

Cllr Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Headingley) said :- "Lib Dems have submitted a White Paper, which I will be moving.. The White Paper calls on the City Council to back the scrapping of the Council Tax and support its replacement with a fair Local Income Tax.

"The Council Tax is rapidly becoming a disaster for Labours 'Poll Tax'. The Tories may have invented Council Tax, but it still has many of the flaws their 'Poll Tax' had. Under Labours rule, both in Leeds and at Westminster, the Council Tax has risen by 46% over the last six years, and this years increase in Leeds will probably be in double figures, smashing through the £1,000 barrier for the average Band D rate. This means massive increases for many people who can least afford it, pensioners who are faced with increases 3 or 4 times more than their pensions are uprated are particularly badly hit.

"A fair Local Income Tax system would be based on peoples ability to pay and could be easily introduced using the present income tax system. 70% of people would pay less.

"Unless Labour recognise the problems caused by their unfair system of funding for local government they will meet the same level of dissatisfaction that the Tories did with the Poll Tax. In Leeds we are giving them a chance to make their position clear."