Duncan Hames calls for Council Tax to be scrapped

12.00.00am GMT Wed 4th Feb 2009

On Friday 30th January at a lively public meeting hosted by the Bradford on Avon Senior Citizens' Forum, Duncan Hames, the Liberal Democrat prospective MP for the area, spoke on the issue of Council Tax alongside representatives of the other parties. While the Labour and Conservatives representatives defended Council Tax in accordance with their parties' policies, Duncan

Hames denounced the impact of Council Tax on people with low and fixed incomes as "wholly unfair" and called for the introduction of a system based on people's ability to pay.

Duncan said:

"In these difficult times, many local people find themselves on a fixed or reduced income facing a rising Council Tax bill. The Council Tax is unfair, and costly to collect. The revaluation exercise, now postponed until after the General Election, would add millions to the cost of running this deservedly hated tax. Sadly, as we learnt tonight, the Conservative Party and their candidate for our area agree with the Labour Government and want to keep the Council Tax. Only the Liberal Democrats have a practical

alternative that would end the misery of a local tax that many people simply have no ability to pay."

Speaking after the meeting, Duncan said:

"I'd like to thank the Bradford on Avon Senior Citizens' Forum for hosting this debate. It was a great chance to hear local residents' views on Council Tax, and for their parliamentary candidates to be put on the spot on their policies. It was pretty clear that, apart from the Conservative and Labour speakers, there were very few people in the room in favour of keeping things as they are."