VOTE TO SCRAP THE COUNCIL TAX

5.31.54pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 31st Mar 2005

David Rendel MP has launched a new opinion poll on his website - www.davidrendel.org.uk - asking local people to vote on their favoured policy on the Council Tax.

With the first votes in, 88% say they support the Liberal Democrat policy to scrap the Council Tax, as compared to the Conservative and Labour plans to offer partial rebates.

This comes on the 15th anniversary of the Poll Tax riots and one day ahead of the revaluation of properties in England. House prices in Newbury have increased by 192% since 1991 (the basis of current Council Tax bills), with the result that many people will see a hike in their bills.

Commenting, Mr Rendel said:

"The only fair solution is to scrap the Council Tax altogether.

"The Conservatives introduced the Council Tax in the first place and they support revaluation. This is a tax bombshell hanging over local residents, and I am committed to removing it completely."

ENDS

Note: Conservative Shadow Secretary of State Caroline Spelman MP says: "The answer to the question about revaluation is that, of course, a property-based tax must take account of changes in the value of the property" (House of Commons, 2 March 2005). The Conservative Front Bench spokesperson (Eric Pickles MP) says: "Any council tax system inevitably requires some form of revaluation" (House of Commons, 2 February 2005)