THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST COUNCIL TAX

THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST COUNCIL TAX

By Mary Davies ? courtesy of the Anglian Pensioner

Anger is growing rapidly against the unfairness of the Council Tax and particularly against this year's swingeing rises. Young and old alike, across the length and breadth of the country, are affected and showing readiness to join protest movement wherever they arise.

Pensioners in particular are badly affected and it is true to say that there is not a single pensioner in this country who is not worse off this year than they were last. With an increase in the basic State Pension of a measly 2.5%, and Council Tax increases averaging near?ly 13% (in some cases reach?ing 20%) it's no wonder the older generation are up in arms and are initiating and joining campaigns along with younger generations that cannot afford the huge rises for which Councils are now asking.

The government blames the Councils and the Councils blame the Government and in the meantime services seem to get worse not better. 

IS IT FAIR?

The root problem is of course that the Council Tax is an unfair tax, based as it is on assumed property values and not on residents' ability to pay. There is also a strongly held belief that the Government, for political rea?sons, has shifted the balance of resources from the south?east to more northerly districts, thus accentuating the unfairness of the tax even more.

THE PROTEST MOVEMENT GROWS

Devon Pensioners' Action Forum leads the way with a group of pensioners who are refusing to pay more than 1.7% increase (the official inflation rate for last year) on their last year's Council Tax Bills.

Led by Albert Venison, supporters of the Devon Forum now number over 500, all of whom are prepared to go to prison if necessary if the Council prosecutes them. The announcement has been greeted with applause in many parts of the country and the participants were given a pledge of support from the Blackpool Pensioners' Parliament this year. Others are prepared to follow the Devon initiative.

A surfing of the World Wide Web reveals that at least seventeen Protest Groups have been set up around the country, each of which will be deciding how best to make their anger felt. 

THE NORFOLK CAMPAIGN
Norfolk has now followed suit and, largely due to the initiative of Tom Kirkup a group which has named itself CACTIN (Campaign Against Council Tax in Norfolk) is now in process of formation.

Its first public meeting, at Hethersett Village Hall from 10 am to l pm on Saturday 29th November, under the independent chairmanship of the Chair of Hethersett Parish Council George Beckford, is being addressed by Norman Lamb MP and a speaker from Norwich Age Link

This is an entirely indepen?dent group, with no affiliation to any other organisation, which seeks to embrace all those, young and old, who are being penalised so heavily by the current Council Tax. Everyone is welcome to join and it is hoped that a Council representative will attend to state their case.

A HIGHLY DEBATABLE SOLUTION?

Kent County Council has a proposal whereby pensioners only pay 2.5% on last year's bills and the remainder of the Council Tax Bill for this year will be met by increased bills for other Council Tax buyers. The Government has said that Councils are free to make what arrangements they wish about Council Tax and other Councils (including Norfolk) are considering the Kent C.C. Solution.

We don't imagine such a solution will be popular with other Council taxpayers, not least those young families struggling with mortgages, family commitments, etc.

We believe we are all in this campaign together and together we must fight to get a fair deal all round.