£27,588,000 hike in council tax on Vale Royal’s taxpayers under Brown : Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale
Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale

£27,588,000 hike in council tax on Vale Royal’s taxpayers under Brown

Effect of Labour’s local taxes hikes on soaring cost of living exposed

New figures Todayhave revealed that the tax take from council tax bills across Weaver Valehas soared by an estimated 102% under Labour. This is equivalent to Gordon Brown raking in an extra £27,588,000 of council taxes each year since 1997. The news comes as new council tax bills are being sent out byVale Royal.

Official answers by Labour Ministers show, for the first time, how much extra money is now being raked in from council tax in every part of England. Small print from the Budget also reveals that the Government is forecasting a £1.2 billion rise in council tax across Britain from April.

·           The increase in council tax receipts across Britain under Gordon Brown is the equivalent of levying an extra 4 pence on the basic rate of income tax. As a whole, council tax now rakes in the equivalent of 7 pence on income tax.

·           New figures show that across the North West, the money collected from council tax is estimated to have soared by101% or 31,325,578,000under Labour.

·           Official statistics also show that council tax bills inVale Royal have collectively risen by £27,588,000from 1997 to 2007 – a rise of 102%.

Cllr Graham Evans, Weaver Vale’s Prospective MP, said:  “Under Gordon Brown, council tax has been turned into the ultimate stealth tax – with Weaver Vale’staxpayers left to foot a£54,534,000 bill imposed from Whitehall. People are paying more and getting less.

“Whitehall must stop imposing unfunded burdens and regulations on town halls. But people power is also needed to control council tax. Conservatives will give local residents the power to veto high council tax rises through local referendums. We will place local taxpayers back in control of town hall finances.”

March 2008