Worse than the Poll Tax
Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Labour group leader Cllr Tim Swift has slammed Calderdale Conservatives for targeting people on low incomes in their budget proposals, warning that their proposals include changes that are worse than Mrs Thatcher’s hated Poll Tax.
The Conservatives intend to increase the amount that people on the lowest incomes pay towards their council tax bills from just under one fifth (19%) at present to almost a third (30%). This means that they would effectively have to pay half as much again from 2018 as they do at present.
"Instead of keeping council tax down, they want the worst off in Calderdale to pay half as much again", Cllr Swift said.
"Even under Mrs Thatcher’s poll tax, the Conservatives never dreamed of expecting the worst off in society to be hit so hard. If this change were approved, it would be a real blow to hard working families on low incomes. It will target many of the families who are already being hit by cuts to tax credits, the bedroom tax, and other changes.
"And they have not even had the honesty to spell out their plans – they are trying to hide it away in the small print of a budget that they have published just a few days before they expect the Council to vote on it."