Council tax
Tuesday, 29 Apr 2008 10:35
Councils and the government are coming under pressure to reform local taxation.
Yesterday the Taxpayers' Alliance called on local authorities to aim for ten per cent budget cuts which, it claims, would allow the average council tax bill to be cut by 3.5 per cent.
This morning local government minister John Healey again reiterated the government's viewpoint on the revaluation of council tax bands, which have not been reviewed since their initial establishment based on 1991 values.
Both of Britain's main parties seem tentative when it comes to reform, with the Conservatives forced to face up to the painful legacy of poll tax as their most recent contribution to the debate.
Discussion on council tax inevitably results in debate about the relationship between central and local government, which will also be under scrutiny as the issue is analysed further today.
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