Scrap Council Tax Petition launch in Hodge Hill (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

Scrap Council Tax Petition launch in Hodge Hill

July 1, 2004 8:36 PM

Nicola Davies and Vince Cable launching the Scrap the Council Tax petition in Hodge Hill

Liberal Democrats Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP will join Nicola Davies to launch her 'Axe Council Tax' petition in Hodge Hill on Friday Morning. Nicola Davies said "Increasing numbers of local people are telling me just how unfair council Tax is. It can't be fair that the fifth of the population in the West Midlands who have the lowest income pay nearly five percent of their income on Council Tax yet the wealthiest fifth pay just one and a half percent."

Nicola further said "Council Tax is unfair and unpopular, I am launching this petition to give local people an opportunity to say that want the council tax scrapped and replaced by a tax based on ability to pay."

The Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for the abolition of the Council Tax. Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, recently addressed the CIPFA conference. Following reports that the Government are likely to rule out introducing local income tax to replace the council tax in its Balance of Funding Review, Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats said "The scrapping of the Council Tax and its replacement with a fair local income tax based on ability to pay would significantly contribute to local authority accountability and address the fundamental flaws in the Council Tax system. It would stop the poor paying more for their local services, as is the case under the Council Tax."

The petition can be signed on-line at http://hodgehill-libdems.org.uk/petitions/