05/01/05 - Swindon Conservatives Slam Plans For Regional Council Tax

Swindon Conservatives slam calls for new regional council tax

Councillor Justin Tomlinson & Robert Buckland, Conservative Parliamentary candidates for North & South Swindon have described the decision of Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs to back new regional council tax-raising powers for a future South West Regional Assembly as a kick in the teeth for council tax payers in Swindon.

The Lib/Lab recommendations, published today, were included in a Select Committee report on the Draft Regional Assemblies Bill. The Bill will be considered by the Government if it returns to its plans to introduce elected regional assemblies.

Commenting, Robert said,

Blink and youll miss it, but tucked into the small print of the report is a recommendation for even more tax raising powers for a South West regional assembly.

Racking up even higher council tax - just to pay for more politicians and bureaucrats - is exactly what people in the North East rejected so decisively last year. Isnt it time Labour and the Liberal Democrats started listening to people instead of dictating to them?

Justin added,

Council tax must be one of the most hated of all Tony Blairs 66 stealth taxes. Since 1997, it has shot up by 42% in just 3 years in Swindon and it looks set to soar even further in any third Labour term through the introduction of new, higher council tax bands. As we are showing in Swindon, it is only the Conservatives who are prepared to stamp down our Council Tax bills.