"Tories snub flood victims" - Rendel

10.23.46pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Jul 2008

Shadow Finance spokesman David Rendel has slammed West Berkshire's ruling Conservatives following a crunch vote on making council tax concessions to those still forced to live upstairs in their homes following last July's flooding.

"There are many people who have not been able to live at home at all since last summer's floods who do not have to pay council tax on their uninhabitable properties and rightly so. However, this simply does not go far enough to support many other families who are living their lives from their bedrooms. Lib Dems strongly feel that a discount on council tax is in order since council tax is based on a property's value, which is reduced due to flood damage. Where is the empathy and compassion for people struggling to rebuild their lives? Why vote down this simple measure designed to make everyday lives a little bit easier?"

Thatcham West and Flooding spokesman Keith Woodhams, himself a flood victim consigned to living upstairs, added:

"As a flood victim it is easy to see that this proposal made sense - after all houses with flood damage are worth less until they are repaired but no-one has downgraded council tax bands accordingly. A little more compassion from West Berkshire's Tories would go a long way."