Labour's Land For The Many Report.

[Deskdiary]

Following the publication of Labour's Land for the Many report (the name sounds like a communist Russia policy), there is a suggestion single occupants will lose their 25% Council Tax reduction.

I recall when the so called 'Bedroom Tax' was introduced, those on the left went absolutely nuts. so I wonder how they feel about this development?

Is it a winning policy to penalise, for example, widows living on their own where they spouse has had the temerity to die?

[ToraToraTora]

what is bedroom tax? I have bedrooms and I have never been asked for tax. This term has always been a mystery to me.
"there is a suggestion single occupants will lose their 25% Council Tax reduction. " - that's just the tip of the iceberg of agent Cob's plans to give our hard earned to WSS.

[naomi24]

In a socialist Utopia devoid of encouragement and aspiration all share equally – poverty.

[Gromit]

The Report oi here (See Chapter 3)

http://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/12081_19-Land-for-the-Many.pdf

I cannot find any mention of abolishing the 25% reduction other than they plan to abolish Council Tax altogether and replace it.

The suggestions for a replacement sound good.

- Only home owners to pay the Progressive tax not tenants.
- There will be exemptions for low earners and pensioners and those on a benefit
- make the tax proportional on the property's land value. Currently people living in mansions are capped at 3 times Council tax when their house could be worth 100 times more.
- Labour’s new tax will discourage leaving property empty and second homes.

A long document which I have not read, but some interesting ideas. It has been authored by academics and think tankers, rather than hard lefties.

[CrapAtCryptics]

It makes you wonder who thinks these ideas ar acceptable. If you note the largely unfunded ideas, old fashioned dogmatic approach and Corbyn why would aanyone vote for Labour. Next indicator is tomorrow with the Peterborough bye election - any predictions.

[douglas9401]

'Think tankers'? Worthy of our own diamond geezer. :-)

[Togo]

Now, now. You know very well that when the commies and lefties are out of office that they get very "unhappy". In this state they suddenly come over all "democratic" and find themselves inventing even more intricate and painful ideas to spread this unhappiness as far as possible. No mention of a window tax I see. Missing a trick there aren't they? All those decadent greenhouses and conservatories with glass in them.

[naomi24]

//The suggestions for a replacement sound good.//

They don’t sound good to me. Do property owners take more from the system?

[cassa333]

No Naomi property owners don't take more. In quite a few instances they pay more. That's what happens when you own property.

Also if Comrad corbyn has his way the state will have to start building more homes to take up the slack of the private landlord.

[naomi24]

Precisely Cassa. Still, Corbyn & Co could always just commandeer privately owned property. There's an idea.

[jno]

the way Thatcher did? Ordering others to sell off their property? Cameron proposed the same thing, as I recall. Good Tory policy over the years.

[New Judge]

//The suggestions for a replacement sound good.//

Really? Let’s have a look at some you have mentioned:

- Only home owners to pay the Progressive tax not tenants.

So people who rent a house out will pay its Council Tax (or whatever they call it). Those living in it (who take advantage of local services) will not. The landlord will presumably add the tax to the rent (making the tenant’s benefit of the scheme zero). Those in “Social Housing” will probably pay nothing at all because it is unlikely that their Local Authority landlords will pay the tax to themselves.

- There will be exemptions for low earners and pensioners and those on a benefit

As now, those who pay the least in will draw the most out.

- make the tax proportional on the property's land value. Currently people living in mansions are capped at 3 times Council tax when their house could be worth 100 times more.

Why should a tax which is ostensibly to fund local services be related to land or property values? People often live in expensive houses which they bought whilst working and prefer to stay in them in retirement. Is this report suggesting they must sell their house because they cannot afford the tax? A single person living in a £1m house uses far less in the way of local services that a family of ten living in a council property. Fair? Not my idea of fair.

- Labour’s new tax will discourage leaving property empty and second homes.

Because, of course, we mustn’t have people enjoying the fruits of their labours, must we?

//It has been authored by academics and think tankers,…//

Who, presumably, haven’t the sense they were born with.

[ToraToraTora]

I know, why don't we charge the same amount for each individual regardless of whether they own or rent? after all one person uses one persons worth of local authority resources. We could call it "the community charge"........hang on!

[Deskdiary]

^^^Quite.

By far the fairest system of collecting local taxation.

I've never understood why there was such a brouhaha (love that word) over the concept that each adult in a house should pay their way, rather than an arbitrary house valuation and subsequent banding.

I'm exaggerating to make a point, but on what planet does it make sense for a household of 4 adults all earning salaries to be paying the same as their next door neighbour where there may only be one earner with a partner and children.

[naomi24]

jno, //Ordering others to sell off their property? //

No. Commandeering. Look it up.

[ToraToraTora]

DD: "I've never understood why there was such a brouhaha" - because the great unwashed discovered, horror of horrors, that they would have to contribute to local funding! No longer were those not owning property exempted form paying towards local services. Yes it was by far the best of the systems tried, far fairer than council tax or rates, yet politicians bottled it.

[Gromit]

The local rates system is broken. Has been for a long time. It’s purpose is to raise finance for local services. But the Council Tax has morphed back to something resembling the Poll tax. Under austerity measures, central Government has cut funding so that the likes of Tory Northamptonshire County Council went bankrupt. The result is that poorer people are paying more than ever before and getting a far worse service. And to make up some of the shortfall, local councils are cutting the exemptions for low earners. Lord Jenkin, architect of the community charge called the changes to benefits as Poll Tax MkII.

It is clear to everyone that the present system needs replacing. This Labour Report might not be the solution, but at least it is an attempt to make a fairer system.

[New Judge]

Another reason for the demise of the Community Charge was the continued acceptance of the term "Poll Tax". The perceived wisdom was that "per head" taxes (regardless of means) were iniquitous but the thinking neglected to consider that the tax that the Community Charge replaced (domestic rates) was considerably more unfair. I don't know why this should be. As with Council Tax now, no account is taken of income, only of relative property value. It may be, of course, that it was a Tory idea coupled with the fact that some of the Great Unwashed, who had previously paid sod all, were being asked to shell out.