Covid: What is council tax and should it go up in the pandemic?

[Thomas]

It doesn't help at all  . I was suggesting that (with some evidence) that councils are run by muppets and tax payers money is better kept  away from them as much as possible . They (councils) do of course always get bailed out by central government in the end but given the incompetence it is right that government looks after our taxes .

It might also encourage voters to actually look at the quality of those they elect rather than the color of their rosette .  Tough times ahead for all of us and I want my council run by professionals who will provide services for minimal outlay not an ex milkman Labour candidate who decides he's now an expert in Housing development .

Streetwalker if you want to see the absolute incompetence and downright duplicity and corruption of a labour council  , look no further than my home city of glasgow where they were in power for 80 years.

You dont even have to troll through their entire history  , but look at stuff for exemple like the equal pay dispute for council workers that labour refused to pay for , then when they got voted out of power at council level tried to stitch the snp up over it.

Only a few years back ( after the 2017 council elections when labour got the boot) labour clowns like former mp paul sweeny were demanding the snp government fund equal pay for council workers...




....for a bill that had landed on the last labour administration at holyrood in 2005 , thirteen years previously...






at the same time in 2005 , fromer labour first minister jack maconnell had sent back 1.5 billion in the very money he should have used to settle this bill , to brown and blair at westmisnter , saying he coudnt think of anything to spend it on...( and got rewarded by a peerage in the lords)




Thats what you are up against , this being one of many many examples of labour party duplicity at council and governmental level at both holyrood and westmisnter , blaming the snp and tories for the very rife corrupt and shambolic practices labour use when in power.

Scum.

[Streetwalker]

Slashing all council funding by 60% helps how exactly? It is simply money grabbing by the Tory government for the results of which councils can be blamed. And you appear to be another one falling for it.

It doesn't help at all  . I was suggesting that (with some evidence) that councils are run by muppets and tax payers money is better kept  away from them as much as possible . They (councils) do of course always get bailed out by central government in the end but given the incompetence it is right that government looks after our taxes .

It might also encourage voters to actually look at the quality of those they elect rather than the color of their rosette .  Tough times ahead for all of us and I want my council run by professionals who will provide services for minimal outlay not an ex milkman Labour candidate who decides he's now an expert in Housing development .

[Thomas]

Slashing all council funding by 60% helps how exactly? It is simply money grabbing by the Tory government for the results of which councils can be blamed. And you appear to be another one falling for it.

Labour did the exact same thing when they were in power , more to the point , in scotland the labour government and labour councils did everything they could to undermine the snp administration at holyrood circa 2007 onwards , and who can forget former labour scottish first minister jack maconnell handing back £1 billion pounds of scottish taxpayers money to blair and brown saying "he couldnt spend it" and gettig  rewarded by a peerage in the lords for services rendered.?

[srb7677]

In Croydons case its been a massive case of mismanagement by people who shouldn't be in control of the till at a sweet shop . Some of the figures in the summery below are quite mind boggling not only that we as tax payers  are actually expected  to give them these vast amounts of money but also in that complete dipsticks have control of it .

https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/croydon_council_a_tale_of_mismanagement

Is it really any wonder that funding for councils is reduced when we have such incompetents in charge of them ?

Slashing all council funding by 60% helps how exactly? It is simply money grabbing by the Tory government for the results of which councils can be blamed. And you appear to be another one falling for it.

[Streetwalker]

All councils are in difficulties and are under immense pressure. The fact that the Tories have slashed funding for councils by more than 60% has a lot to do with this.  It is certainly a contributory factor that cannot be denied.

In Croydons case its been a massive case of mismanagement by people who shouldn't be in control of the till at a sweet shop . Some of the figures in the summery below are quite mind boggling not only that we as tax payers  are actually expected  to give them these vast amounts of money but also in that complete dipsticks have control of it .

https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/croydon_council_a_tale_of_mismanagement

Is it really any wonder that funding for councils is reduced when we have such incompetents in charge of them ?

[srb7677]

My mismanaged  council has gone bankrupt with a £60M budget deficit , services cut to the bone and are now selling off any assets , buildings ,green spaces ect .   All maintenance of council properties is on an emergency H&S basis which basically means they will fall into disrepair and a headache for the next bunch of thieves who take over

All councils are in difficulties and are under immense pressure. The fact that the Tories have slashed funding for councils by more than 60% has a lot to do with this.  It is certainly a contributory factor that cannot be denied.

[johnofgwent]

Whats the excuse for council tax trebling in wales under the welsh labour government good old?

Is that tory and snp tactic and fault too?

Good old is about as good at maths as Diane flabbot

I would have pointed this out in their post but they screwed up the quote


ONS figures for Wales show a band D rise from 495 to 1667

A rise of 336.7 %

In England the ONS records a rise from 690 to 1818

A rise of 263.4 %

[Thomas]

sir keith not doing too good....


Britain Elects
@BritainElects
·
25 Jan
Westminster voting intention:

CON: 42% (+2)
LAB: 37% (-1)
LDEM: 8% (-)
GRN: 4% (-1)
REFUK: 3% (+1)

via @RedfieldWilton
, 25 Jan
Chgs. w/ 18 Jan


https://redfieldandwiltonstrategies.com/latest-gb-voting-intention-25-january-2021/

[Thomas]

I have always favoured some form of local income tax for that reason, but any tax levied on individuals that takes account of means is fine by me.

The problem is though steve coming from a labour party die hard like yourself , it sounds yet again nothing short of empty hollow words being spouted for the gullible.

Council tax has long been unpopualr throughout these islands. It doubled under the last labour government at westmisnter trebled in wales under devolved labour  , and in scotland  , labour steadfastly reufed to abandon council tax in favour of something more progressive , in 2005 , scottish labor first minisnter jock macconnel refused to even contemplate a council tax reevaluation at the time of the burt report on local taxation in 2005 , and when the snp came in as a minority adminisntration in 2007 , standing on a ticket to get rid of council tax in favour of the very same progressive local income tax you talk of , labour and the other unionist parties stood against the snp replacing it.

You personally might support a local income tax replacing council tax , your party labour certainly dont , and even more have done everything in their power to thwart others doing so .Labour dubbed the plan for local income tax in scotland as "the nat tax" such was thier opposition and venom.

[srb7677]

So she started on the rates, which were a cack handed tax but something we were all familiar with and thus inclined to accept. But she got the wind up her tail and introduced the Poll tax. This was a reasonable tax based on the idea that those who cost the most should pay the most.

In reality of course the tax was most unreasonable because it took zero account of means, and was in no way linked to wealth or earnings, the poor man paying the same as the rich man. In reality, it is this that most people rejected. It was - and was seen to be - grossly unfair.

Taxing individuals instead of properties made sense, but the poll tax was such a cack handedly unfair way of doing so that she was the author of her own undoing. The people will accept a tax on individuals as more fair provided that it takes account of means, ie differential wealth or incomes.

I have always favoured some form of local income tax for that reason, but any tax levied on individuals that takes account of means is fine by me.

[Good old]

Whats the excuse for council tax trebling in wales under the welsh labour government good old?

Is that tory and snp tactic and fault too?


[/quote


That's pretty well the same sort of  rise to be seen in the average council tax rise in England. Means very little.

[Good old]

Labour in scotland saying the snp must answer for the council tax freeze a few years back , when they were blaming the snp government for underfunding labour councils....

https://archive.is/FUKL4

and the reality...

https://archive.is/Lii6g


Labour party and their supporters bullshitting once again blaming the snp and tories as ever for the wastefullness and profligacy of labour councils.  Same shit different day , its always someone elses fault labour councils are inept and wastefull , while they chuck in terms like thatcherite policy into the bargain.

Making use of the situation in Scotland, as ever. Little more than another advert for ,wonderful SNP, horrible Labour.
Nothing at all to do with the recognised fact that certainly in England, councils have faced substantial government cuts throughout the last ten years. This applies to Tory councils every bit as much as Labour ones, or those under mixed control.
When councils are forced to increase local taxes because of those cuts, whilst the national government does nothing to raise further tax, and give further support to all councils.  Then it can be safely said the government are passing the buck.
The issue is that, councils forced to raise funds with council tax, due to government induced  cuts to local budgets, is passing the buck. As paying tax of any sort is never popular. And the Tory governments of the last forty plus years have made use of hiding behind its use.

[Thomas]

Whats the excuse for council tax trebling in wales under the welsh labour government good old?

Is that tory and snp tactic and fault too?

[Thomas]

Labour in scotland saying the snp must answer for the council tax freeze a few years back , when they were blaming the snp government for underfunding labour councils....

SNP GOVERNMENT MUST ANSWER FOR COUNCILS CASH CRISIS

https://archive.is/FUKL4

and the reality...

THE council tax freeze is not underfunded and claims that the Scottish Government does not offer a fair deal to local authorities are not borne out by statistics, Scottish Parliament researchers have found.
The Scottish Government faces frequent criticism from opposition parties, councils and unions over the money it hands to local authorities, with claims of increasing centralisation and a failure to properly compensate councils for the SNP's flagship pledge to keep council tax frozen.
However, the Scottish Parliament Research Centre (Spice) found the council tax freeze is actually "overfunded".

https://archive.is/Lii6g


Labour party and their supporters bullshitting once again blaming the snp and tories as ever for the wastefullness and profligacy of labour councils.  Same shit different day , its always someone elses fault labour councils are inept and wastefull , while they chuck in terms like thatcherite policy into the bargain.

[Thomas]

It was a Tory tactic under Thatcher, and a Tory tactic , in recent years,  Keep income ,and corporate tax down, cut support to local councils,  and leave the taxing to those local councils. It then becomes a case of go without, or go broke, for the councils. It applies to all councils. Many might not have gone broke as such, but only because they no longer give a decent service in many vital areas of local services.
It's a simple case of if you want it you pay for it. If you try to supply it for nothing you go broke.  This is nothing more than a case of government , daring any local government to try and go beyond the restrictions put on them by national government cuts to money that would always be needed to maintain many of the responsibilities placed on them.
It would seem it is nothing more than a government saying to local government raise your own money ,so we don't get the flack, or  go without, or even go broke.

I would say with respect as john of gwent has , this post of your is nothing more than complete bollocks good old.

You said the same in scotland regarding the snp council tax freeze ,  that it was designed to hurt labour led councils , damage local jobs while the snp cut tax for big business.

Labour have used the council tax as we have seen to engage in the worst kind of political opportunism time and again.

Scotland's council tax will remain frozen for the seventh year running, John Swinney has confirmed.

Scottish Labour said the freeze had led to cuts in services.

However, Scottish Labour's local government spokeswoman Sarah Boyack attacked Mr Swinney for continuing to freeze the council tax, saying the "prolonged" policy had led to reduced levels of service and job cuts.
She added: "The SNP have broken local authority finance through their sustained and underfunded council tax freeze that actually costs people more money as charges to deliver services are increased to provide vital funds.
"Since 2008 almost 35,000 jobs have been lost within councils as the SNP continue to grasp power back from local authorities.

https://archive.vn/OFXVb

Meanwhile , the labour party in scotland couldnt get its story strait over council tax , as at the same time , labour mps and councillors were promising to freeze council tax. So it seems nothing more than if the snp ( or in england tory) government freeze council tax ( or raise it) its bad , but if labour freeze council tax ( or  if a labour governemtn as we have seen raise it) its good.

Council tax will not rise under Labour and the leader of Fife Council should stop "banging on" about the prospect, according to an MP.

Representative for Dunfermline and West Fife Thomas Docherty has attacked authority leader David Ross over the possibility of ending the current freeze as an internal war broke out over the issue.
However, Mr Ross hit back by claiming his party colleague at Westminster did not properly understand the budget restrictions.
Mr Docherty said: "Enough is enough. David Ross has to accept council tax is not going to be raised under a Labour executive. David Ross keeps banging on in Fife Council about raising council tax.
"Jim Murphy has made it absolutely clear this is not something Labour will even be considering.
"Of course the way local government has been underfunded needs to be addressed, but raising taxes on those who are struggling to pay their bills is not the solution and Councillor Ross needs to understand that.

https://archive.vn/LVEOT

So it seems to me good old ,rather than the bleat cutting money to local labour councils by the nasty tories in england as some age old tory thatcherite tactic is nothing but utter guff , when the truth of the matter is , profligate and incompetently corrupt labour councils waste council taxpayers cash , then run bleating to blame either snp governments or tory governments for failing to fund them.

The best of it was , viewers in england might not be aware the snp campagined to get rif of council tax , as an outmoded unfair means of funding local services , and replace it with a local income tax  ,and labour did everything they could to stop the snp and maintain the very system they bleat about.

Labour are nothing more than absolute chancing barstewards bleating about council tax as we have seen.