Timid Lyons Report a missed opportunity as council tax burden left unchanged

12.00.00am GMT Wed 21st Mar 2007

Responding to today's publication of the Lyons Report on local government funding, Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Mark Harris said:

"Three years' work has failed to come up with any meaningful changes to the council tax, a tax which is rotten to the core and an unfair burden on hundreds of thousands of households in Leeds.

"While Sir Michael's report endorses a local income tax, coming to the conclusion that it 'is a feasible option', he has not been brave enough to call for immediate reform.

"His option of adding a couple of extra council tax bands and embarking on revaluing homes won't do anything to help local people meet increases in their council tax. The failure to recommend the return of local business rates to local councils means that businesses in Leeds will continue to subsidise the Treasury, rather than help Leeds meet their needs in terms of a modern transport system. Put together the Lyons Report is a missed opportunity that will come back to haunt the government in the years to come."