Round-up: The Council Tax Divide

Reading's three main political parties have set out their stalls regarding the latest round of council tax rises.

Reading Conservatives were first off the mark, making a typically large splash against all and any tax rises.

This preempted the official Labour group proposals to "both protect vital services and keep the council tax increase as low as [possible]."

And finally we have had the LibDem response, arguing for reform of the system to make it fairer and more responsive.

The LibDems explain that the low increase in the central government grant (which makes up about 3/4 of all councils income) has forced the hand of local authorities - according to their spokesman, pretty much anything local politicians can say about these local taxes is spin designed only to influence local voters.

Council's are restricted in their ability to raise income to a maximum increase of 5% on property tax and are simultaneously prevented from varying other tax levels by the Exchequer, so there is a natural inclination to squeeze every last drop from other sources such as parking fines, speeding fines, littering fines, as well as late payment fines - all of which hits the most vulnerable the hardest.

Oranjepan asks:
How can cabinet members on our local council actually influence any changes or meet local priorities while they remain target-driven from Whitehall?

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Click here for a full comparison of Council Tax rises in the different local authorities across Berkshire.