Weston Super Saint

What plans do the alternatives have?

1996 council tax band d was : £803.48 2008 council tax band d was : £1440.84 An increase of £637.36. Let's assume inflation was a VERY GENEROUS 4% over that time, the figure for 2008 should be : £1286.40, a more realistic 3% gives £1145.57 Alright the figures are from Stockport, but that's because I couldn't be arsed to search for Southampton, but I'll be happy to have it proven that Southampton COuncil tax increases haven't also risen by much much more than inflation.... http://www.stockport.gov.uk/content/councildemoc/council/counciltaxfinance/whatiscounciltax/counciltaxbands?a=5441

Good job Nu Labour have been in power for so long and put things in place to change this then.

LOL. So she is a wealthy woman, who presumably has had a nice wealthy lifestyle. Why shouldn't she pay for her own care? Doesn't she have any family that can provide some care

So, what you're saying is recycling has absolutely no benefit to England whatsoever, because the precious land we save from the land fill by recycling will be filled with rubbish from other countries who can't be bothered to recycle Rubbish dump England?

She doesn't HAVE to.

LOL is all I can say. Besides aren't these capital projects funded from separate funding from Central Gov't?

But that's the whole point of Council Tax isn't it? In an ideal world - no matter whose Economic principles you use, or which text book you take them from - Council Tax should only ever rise at the same rate as inflation.

How will they suffer? Will they suddenly disappear into the ether? Perhaps if the local council deems these services less important than the local electorate do, they will be voted out at the next election...

LOL. That's the point isn't it? When the country's citizens become too weak / infirm to cut the plastic wrapping off their shopping, we have a network of care homes - both private and state run - into which they can move to be looked after. It's what our National Insurance contributions are for isn't it?

I wasn't trying to pick isolated examples, but a broad spectrum of examples from up and down the country over a number of years trying to highlight that council tax increases ABOVE the rate of inflation have been prevalent for many years. I'm sure I could find many many more examples for you as I haven't exhausted page 1 of 1000 odd pages of google search yet, but really think these things are accomplished better by Crouchie / INS I also like the way you've gone from Central Government ordering councils to reduce council tax as a bad thing as it would eventually need to be paid back, to Or maybe local government needs to raise above inflation to spend on important projects. Now just where exactly is this extra money coming from?

I don't think so, as that figure is quoted at 17.5%, which until Monday is the VAT rate. We pay duty on fuel and then VAT on top of that, so yes technically 17.5% is accurate, but doesn't account for the duty....

Maybe they could have saved some of the additional revenue they received when they increased council tax rates above inflation... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/council-tax-to-rise-above-inflation-426246.html http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2008/1/24/241218.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2757783.stm http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/tax-advice/council-tax/article.html?in_article_id=425162&in_page_id=82 I particularly like this one http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/3521224/Council-tax-bills-to-surge-as-inflation-plunges.html

I think we're all in agreement and amazement at how George Osbourne not only got a job but manages to keep hold of it!!!

Well those figures only include income tax, NI and VAT - all pretty much determined by the Tories and NOT altered by Nu Labour. There is no mention of the stealth taxes - such as duty on cigarettes, alcohol and fuel - so it's kind of unfair to include those.

But you mention that freezing council tax would create a 'big hole' in local council's finances, which is just blatent scare mongering isn't it? If the tax rate is frozen - ie it doesn't go up or down - then the revenue collected will be pretty much the same won't it? Therefore no mysterious 'big hole' just the same money to spend next year as there was this year.

It's the same answer to the same question

Are you saying the Tories only adopted a moderate taxation policy whilst the rest of the world was taxing their citizens heavily

Complining eh? Responsible job

Good job Paypal is an Ebay company then

Oh I don't know, maybe to hold up the principles that BTF was alluding to??

And yet we could leave the EU if they really wanted to do it so badly.

'Pet' is good.

More interesting than the number of years that Labour have been in power without reducing it back to it's previous levels?

She probably doesn't do her own shopping then.