Paul Crossley

Council Tax is unfair and unjust. It needs replacing with something that is fair and delivers. It needs to be accompanied by a reform of the way Central and Local Government interface and above all it needs Central Government to allow Local Govenment more responsibility and accountability for the services it delivers.

Council Tax was a fag-packet idea from the Conservatives when they pannicked over the hated Poll Tax. Sadly when the Labour took over they failed to sort this mess out. A decade further on and the problem gets worse and now well in advance of the next General the Conservatives have announced they have no ideas and no solutions for the problem. Well nothing new there then. The following story was in the Financial Times.

Sweeping reform of council tax rejected

Financial Times

By Jim Pickard and Jean Eaglesham

Published: August 19 2008 22:48 | Last updated: August 19 2008 22:48

A Conservative government will not undertake a big reform of council tax in its first term, despite regular criticism of what the Tories have dubbed "the ultimate stealth tax", Eric Pickles, the shadow local government secretary, has indicated.

Mr Pickles has admitted that any changes to the unpopular levy would be "incremental" at most.