hereward
02-24-2010, 02:21 PM
Wednesday February 24,2010
HARD-Pressed households in ¬England which have seen council tax more than double under Labour face a further hike from April – while Scotland can look forward to a third year of frozen bills, it emerged yesterday.
Average bills in England will rise by £23 a year to £120 a month, according to a survey of councils’ draft budgets by the Local Government ¬Association (LGA).
Householders in Scotland will pay about £300 a year less than those with similar homes south of the border because their ¬Scottish National Party government, funded by UK taxes, is giving councils cash to freeze the tax.
Local government chiefs in England trumpeted the forecast average rise of 1.6 per cent across all councils or 1.9 per cent outside London, as a “real-terms cut”. It is below the latest Consumer Price Index inflation of 3.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent Retail Price Index.
But critics emphasised that council tax has more than doubled under Labour and many facing higher bills have suffered wage freezes or cuts or are pensioners whose savings income has slumped thanks to low interest rates.
Residents have also seen local services such as weekly waste collections axed.
Christine Melsom, of the Isitfair anti-council tax campaign, said: “Our ¬members would have liked to have seen council tax frozen throughout the ¬country. Although the rises are lower this year, it is still a rise and in these straitened times it is unaffordable to many.
“It is once again a case of heat, eat or pay the council tax.”
Shadow Local Government Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “A fourth term of Labour will make further cuts by ¬imposing fortnightly bin collections for all and hike bills even more through an intrusive council tax revaluation. Only a Conservative government will work with councils to freeze council tax bills south of the border.”
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/160099/Council-tax-300-less-in-Scotland-
HARD-Pressed households in ¬England which have seen council tax more than double under Labour face a further hike from April – while Scotland can look forward to a third year of frozen bills, it emerged yesterday.
Average bills in England will rise by £23 a year to £120 a month, according to a survey of councils’ draft budgets by the Local Government ¬Association (LGA).
Householders in Scotland will pay about £300 a year less than those with similar homes south of the border because their ¬Scottish National Party government, funded by UK taxes, is giving councils cash to freeze the tax.
Local government chiefs in England trumpeted the forecast average rise of 1.6 per cent across all councils or 1.9 per cent outside London, as a “real-terms cut”. It is below the latest Consumer Price Index inflation of 3.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent Retail Price Index.
But critics emphasised that council tax has more than doubled under Labour and many facing higher bills have suffered wage freezes or cuts or are pensioners whose savings income has slumped thanks to low interest rates.
Residents have also seen local services such as weekly waste collections axed.
Christine Melsom, of the Isitfair anti-council tax campaign, said: “Our ¬members would have liked to have seen council tax frozen throughout the ¬country. Although the rises are lower this year, it is still a rise and in these straitened times it is unaffordable to many.
“It is once again a case of heat, eat or pay the council tax.”
Shadow Local Government Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “A fourth term of Labour will make further cuts by ¬imposing fortnightly bin collections for all and hike bills even more through an intrusive council tax revaluation. Only a Conservative government will work with councils to freeze council tax bills south of the border.”
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/160099/Council-tax-300-less-in-Scotland-