RICHARD BURT CHALLENGES TORIES TO SAY WHAT THEY WOULD DO ABOUT COUNCIL TAX

11.52.47pm GMT Tue 20th Mar 2007

West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt has challenged the Tories to say what they would do about the unfair Council Tax following their criticism of government plans for revaluation.

Richard Burt said:

"I would share Tory criticism of the 80 page manual prepared by Gordon Brown's Revaluation Valuation Agency, paving the way for a possible revaluation of Council Tax bands across the Country.

"The proposals are invasive and will penalise people for adding value to their homes or living in a pleasant location.

"But when it comes down to it, the Tories introduced the Council Tax and they want to keep it.

"Scrapping revaluation plans is not a policy. It just means that the inequalities of a tax set on property valuations set by the Tories in 1991 will continue to distort the amount of Council Tax people pay, hitting those on low and middle incomes and pensioners hardest.

"Only the Liberal Democrats are proposing to scrap this Tory tax and replace it with a fairer Local Income Tax based on the ability to pay."