Local councils now make as much as, or more than, they raise in Council Tax from charging for parking, swimming pool use, school meals, and various other things that should be provided for free or there is simply no point in their being provided by a public body.
Councils need the power to raise their own business rates, perhaps a modest local property tax rather than the wickedly unfair Council Tax, and certainly a local tax on land value (and thus encouraging good use of the land itself) and a flat annual fee for registration as a local elector (which might therefore be made voluntary). That last would be dealt with through the benefits system on behalf of the very poor. And all these sources of revenue would be free of presumptive capping powers, which would be unconscionable in any other country, on the part of vastly more profligate and irresponsible central government.
Yet it seems that even the Lib Dems are giving up on local government, today proposing directly elected Health Boards of early or semi-retired middle-class busybodies. Or Lib Dems, as they are otherwise known. Like New Labour and the New Tories, the New Lib Dems seem utterly convinced that even the slightest spending anywhere between central government and the patient (or pupil, or whatever) is “waste”, and that we all want lots of “choice” in the NHS.
But I have a different idea about health policy: why not have a good general hospital within easy reach of everybody’s home, and administered within the local democratic process? It’s just a thought.
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RESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ISITFAIR COUNCIL TAX PROTEST GROUP
For further press information, please contact: Christine Melsom on 01428-712680 or E-mail c@isitfair.co.uk
22 January 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[start of press release]
ISITFAIR CAMPAIGN SAYS COUNCILS WANT TO HAVE THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT
The Audit Commission today published a report entitled 'Positively charged - maximising the benefits of local public service charges'. It shows that a quarter of local councils now raise more money from their direct charges for services than they levy in council tax.
Christine Melsom, founder of the Isitfair council tax protest group, issued the following statement in response to the report.
"My first reaction to the Audit Commission's report was that it could have been called 'Positively OVERcharged', a phrase which sums up the raw deal that is being dished out to council tax payers. But seriously, this report is further evidence of councils' insatiable thirst for our money.
Last year (2006/7) council tax in England raised £22.4 Billion - and on top of this councils raised a further £10.8 Billion from fees and charges. The Audit Commission's report is an open invitation for the Government to encourage councils to be more aggressive in their approach to levying direct charges.
In services where there is a free market, e.g. care of the elderly, council income from charges has fallen since 2001. On the contrary the greatest increase was in services where councils have a near monopoly, e.g. car parking. Isitfair is concerned that the general tone of the report is to encourage further hikes in charges, and we expect this to be most evident in services where councils have least competition.
Isitfair hopes this will prove to be a further nail in the coffin for council tax. Council tax payers have had enough - the Government is giving the councils carte blanche to have their cake and eat it. We get relentless inflation-busting increases in our annual council tax bills and now we have to brace ourselves for further hikes in direct charges for council services, many of which used to be funded from council tax.
Isitfair will continue to campaign for a fairer system of taxation to fund local services. The present system of council tax bears no direct relationship to people's income and has become an unacceptable burden for many thousands of us."
[end of press release]
or further press information, please contact: Christine Melsom on 01428-712680 or E-mail c@isitfair.co.uk
Issued by Isitfair Campaign, Headley, Hampshire GU35 8PJ
OTES TO EDITOR
Isitfair is a UK-wide, non party-political campaign for the reform of the existing property-value based system of Council Tax.
Isitfair wants a fairer system of taxation for local services that is related to everyone's ability to pay.
Isitfair represents people of all age groups (not only pensioners) who are unfairly affected by Council Tax.
You can find more information about the Isitfair campaign at www.isitfair.co.uk
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