Forum Topic

Labour Council Tax plans

Labour says its tax reforms will not affect anyone earning less than £80,000.   What about Council Tax?   Anyone have an idea of their plans in respect of that?   Something nasty waiting in the wings? Their manifesto is written in headlines.  Can’t find anything even in the small print.   Is Chairman Mao’s “little grey book” online?  Tried Google.  Can’t find. 

Andrew Farmer ● 2351d15 Comments

Mr Evans, your contribution is redundant.  It is clear from my initial post that I am aware what is and what is not in the Labour manifesto.  My question is: Can we trust them?    Mr Havelock’s contribution suggests we can’t.  Council tax will rise for a person living alone.  This was not a “scare story”. Rupa Huq has failed to respond to my email to her.  It is all very well having chit-chat on doorsteps of which, if they do not play to her tune, there is no record.  When assurances are given, they need to be recorded.  I want an assurance that my council tax will not rise -  in writing.

Andrew Farmer ● 2344d

As others have mentioned, some changes to council tax were proposed in a report for the Labour Party that suggested major changes to property taxation. None of these proposals are present Labour policy nor are they in the manifesto. This doesn't stop the Daily Express et al running scare stories about removing discounts and 'hitting pensioners'.

Peter Evans ● 2344d

And incorrect, apparently:-Claim - Labour are proposing stopping the 25% discount on council tax for single householders.Conclusion - This is not Labour policy.https://fullfact.org/election-2019/labour-policy-council-tax/

Rosco White ● 2344d

Blimey, that's VERY sneaky.  😲

Rosco White ● 2344d

Buried in some strange worded parts of the Labour Manifesto are intentions for the abolition of the 25% discount council tax for single occupancy . It will not apply to students, many of whom vote in a borough they are not full time residents of and pay no council tax.Questions asked at Hustings and no denials or confirmations.So if any Labour candidates are reading this, Is this or is this not True?It would be nice to get a straight answer that even the media seems not to be able to ascertain.

Raymond Havelock ● 2344d

Let's ask Rupa Huq.Dear Rupa Huq,Council taxThere is little in the Labour manifesto about council tax.  Proposals were mooted for a replacement Progressive Property Tax.  "Land For The Many" recommended it.  It was commissioned by Labour and supposedly independent.  Its title reflects the “for the many not the few” Labour formula.  The writers are Labour supporters, activists to various degrees.  The piece begins with Labour Party jargon:  “inequality and exclusion”.  No need to ask where the supposedly “independent academic” study will end.  The writers want a new tax to discourage single people occupying large homes. They want to "encourage" them to downsize.  What does that mean? It means harass them by taxation out of their homes.  Many elderly people have large homes and expensive ones.  They were not expensive when acquired.  (I bought mine on a mortgage on the basis of an income as a public servant.Family homes become “large” when the children leave.  The owners wish to go on living there.  It is where their memories are.  It is sanctified as the place where a child was born or a loved one died.  I would regard anyone who attempted to harass me out of my home as my mortal enemy. Labour policy has the vindictive land-grab character of the policies of Robert Mugabe. So, Rupa Huq, can you assure me that this tax is not something nasty waiting in the wings? Yes or no? And do you have sufficient confidence that it is not to agree to recompense me personally should anything resembling this Progressive Property Tax be introduced so that my council tax exceeds, expect by a reasonable annual increment, what I already pay?Yours sincerely,Andrew Farmer 

Andrew Farmer ● 2344d

What is interesting about public investment is the fact that by putting people to work we increase the cycle of them spending money and paying tax. the money they spend creates jobs as well. It is definitely much better than the Tory trickle down method in which rich people just buy speedboats and move more money abroad. to say no one thinks they are credible is what the daily telegraph will repeat and yet if we carry on with our current economic model we end up with more on benefits (until they are sanctioned) this just drains money. brexit and the architects of brexit are prepared to trash manufacturing, irish peace and so much more. The tory manifesto is vague and thin because they know deep down that they dont want to break promises so they dont want to make any!! The BBC is soft on Boris and much of the press is full of hysteria about Corbyn. The interesting things is that the economics bear a closer resemblance to Germany or Denmark than Venezuela as claimed in the press. Portugal's Socialist government has finally created growth based on spending more. It is a very fragile growth but more jobs are occurring. The only issue there appears to be the inflation of rents in Lisbon which is affecting many low wage people. But at least there is some growth. The economic balance must change. The tories will bring us a hard brexit next year if no trade deal is down. the corporate tax will still be lower than other countries and will not be an immediate hike. The public have suffered austerity in order to reduce the debt and that has failed under the tories so what have they been doing. Listen to the various ministers when they are taken to task.

Peter Chadburn ● 2351d

When you say the Labour manifesto is costed they have put in some numbers to explain where the money might come from but I don't think anyone seriously thinks they are credible. The increased tax revenue is based on the assumption that the amount raised will rise in proportion with the increase in the rates charged. That's never happened in the history of tax ever. Increased borrowing is to be funded at the same rates as currently. Even assuming no increase in interest rates our cost of borrowing will rise because of an inevitable downgrade in credit rating. Also growth projections also are way out - private sector investment is already been squeezed by Brexit, load on top of that a more punitive corporate tax regime then it is hard to how the economy can expand beyond the boost from increasing our debt.Don't get me wrong the Tory's plans are also a fairy tale - nobody is prepared to admit we are a low growth economy with huge economic challenges ahead and major looming finanicial liabilities from an aging population and maintaining spending at currently levels on key services will be a huge challenge for any government even a competently led one.

Andy Jones ● 2351d

Labour do costs their manifesto. Funnily enough the Tories calculate it wrongly then fail to cost their own.

Peter Chadburn ● 2351d

You are right. Buy-to-lets are subject to council-tax.  I never said they were not.  What was in question was the top-up tax on holiday homes.  The top-up did not apply to buy-to-lets.    You are a bit of cynic.  No suiting you.  Boris unfit for office and Corbyn (really eminence grise McDonnell) with his “series of uncosted, unaffordable promises”.Everybody seems to be offered bribes by Labour: university fees for students without even three Cs at A level, waspies (I thought they were elasticated belts ladies struggled to get into way-back-when), abortions on demand.  What about me?  Why no free condoms for the over-eighties?  (Not really that old and always open to reasonable offers.) 

Andrew Farmer ● 2351d

Buy to Lets are liable for council tax already.If the Labour party were capable of guile they would not be 17% behind a party led by a man patently unsuitable for office advocating a path for this country that will hamstring us economicially.Labour's manifesto is tailored to its base rather than the electorate and works on the assumption that they are never going to form a majority government. It is a series of uncosted, unaffordable promises. If you are looking for guile it is the Conservatives who you need to be focusing on. Theresa May's manifesto did try to address some of the unavoidable questions on social care and pensions and being honest cost her votes. Under Johnson the impetus to try and be truthful has evaporated and they are pretending there are no hard decisions ahead for the country.

Andy Jones ● 2351d

All parties have scope to break their promises.  Individual politicians do, for instance, when, having stood on a manifesto to enact Brexit, they do all they can to frustrate it. “Traitors”, I think, is the mot juste.

Andrew Farmer ● 2351d

I think it applies to holiday homes, not buy-to-lets.  But what about a family that has two homes and uses both regularly (not properties in the wilds of Eales used only when the sun is shining).  I am thinking of Julian Bell.    We may know what the manifesto says. What about what it leaves unsaid, out of guile? 

Andrew Farmer ● 2351d

Yes at least they are being honest about what they intend doing. The Conservative one is very light on detail just like their leader. That is more worrying as this gives them more scope for trashing this country

Peter Chadburn ● 2351d

Not sure why you are bothering with Labour's manifesto as there isn't a scenario imaginable in which they form a majority government.As far as I can see from press coverage the only substantive change proposed is an increase in council tax for second homes which does seem to be quite a sensible idea.

Andy Jones ● 2351d