Can Fylde residents afford the Lib Dems? - Press release

Conservatives call for a fairer deal for Fylde – not new taxes

The growing cost of living is one of the biggest concerns to local residents across Fylde, with rising council tax bills and utility bills.

Hard-pressed families and pensioners face worrying new taxes under new town hall tax plans being considered by Gordon Brown in Whitehall. With council taxes having already risen by the equivalent of 4 pence on income tax since 1997, the Prime Minister-in-waiting is planning to squeeze householders even harder through regular council tax revaluations, higher council tax bands and new bin taxes.

In addition to this, Liberal Democrats are lobbying the Government for a new local income tax, as well as proposing long-term plans to move to a 1 per cent yearly house price tax. The Labour Government is currently trialling such a house price tax in Northern Ireland from April.

But Fylde Conservatives have warned that these new taxes would do nothing to tackle the problems of local tax bills rising year-on-year above inflation.

New analysis has revealed the fact that a working family in Fylde could end up paying £1918.00 in local income tax, compared to the current average council tax of £1,221. Alternatively, a 1% house price tax would mean a yearly tax bill of £2165.00 on the average home in Fylde.

John Coombes, Leader of Fylde Conservatives explained, “there is a lot of speculation in the press in recent months about how council tax could change – with the real threat of a new house price tax, council tax revaluations or higher council tax bands. Only Conservatives are opposing these plans vigorously. But the Liberal Democrat policy of allowing councils to levy top-up income taxes on pay packets isn’t the answer. It would do nothing to tackle fiddled Whitehall funding, not stop civil servants instructing councils to introduce new laws without giving them the cash to pay for it. Instead of just replacing one soaring tax with another and robbing Peter to pay Paul, we need a fairer deal for the Fylde Coast.”

Senior Liberal Democrats have admitted that many homes would pay more under local income tax. “If there are two full-time earners in the house, there would be more tax” with the new tax starting to bite for families with combined salaries “in the mid £30,000s” (source: Vincent Cable MP cited in The Evening Standard).

John Coombes added, “families and pensioners who have saved and improved their homes face the threat of soaring tax bills, without any improvements in their local services. Just because house prices have risen doesn’t mean that local residents can afford higher local taxes. Law-abiding, decent people are already struggling to meet the rising cost of mortgages, utility bills and local taxes. These Lib-Lab plans for new taxes just aren’t welcome on Fylde’s doorsteps.”

Conservatives have pledged to cancel the Government’s plans for a council tax revaluation and will abolish the powers of council tax inspectors to enter people’s homes.