Axe the Tax

12.01.13am GMT Wed 9th Feb 2005

The Government's forthcoming revaluation of Council Tax will mean bigger bills for many Ashfield residents if Labour or the Conservatives were to win the General Election Wendy Johnson Liberal Democrat PPC for Ashfield warned today. Wendy went on to urge all residents to write to John Prescott at the House of Commons to demand that the Government stop the tax-raising revaluation and scrap the unfair Council Tax.

The revaluation of council tax bands for all homes in England and Scotland is planned to start in 2005 with revised bills being issued to residents in 2007. All properties were originally valued in 1991. Wales has already re-valued properties and revised bills are being issued this year.

Wendy said, "Evidence from the revaluation process in Wales shows 33% of properties moving up Council Tax bands and only 8% going down. In Cardiff 64% moved up and only 2% down. Research by Cardiff Council demonstrates that some of the poorest areas in Wales were hardest hit because many houses in these areas have had above average rises in their house values since 1991.

Ashfield residents have already been hit by council tax. Now council tax revaluation is set to hit them after the election. Council tax was unfair when Michael Howard's Conservatives brought it in. Labour's council tax revaluation will make it worse. It's time to scrap the unfair Council Tax".