Climb Down on Council Tax Revaluation Misses the Point

3.28.59pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 4th Oct 2005

An announcement was made last week that the re-setting of council tax bands in England, the first for 14 years, will be postponed as the government fights shy of a middle-class backlash from homeowners in London and the south-east.

Commenting on the reports, Local Liberal Democrat Spokesperson, Mike Crockart said:

"Council tax is in a desperate mess, and cancelling revaluation does nothing to change that.

"By opting out of meaningful reform, the Government is letting down the millions of pensioners and low paid workers who struggle month after month to pay their council tax bills. Revaluation or no revaluation, council tax is Britain's most unfair tax, and it must be abolished.

"It's time to scrap council tax and introduce a fair local income tax based on the ability to pay."