Tory council tax plans – “too little, too late”

Council Tax plans announced by the Tories at their conference in Cardiff on Friday (02/03/06) are too little too late for pensioners in Bridgend.

It is nothing more than a cheap attempt to buy some votes on May 3rd. People in the town still remember when the Tories introduced the Council Tax as a replacement for the horrific Poll Tax. In the last year of John Major’s Government, council tax levels across Wales went up by 18% in one go.

We have seen at first hand in Bridgend what happens to Tory promises on Council Tax. During the last local elections, their candidates pledged to keep increases below inflation only to dump the promise straightaway, and betray the people who voted for them, when they jumped straight into bed with Lib Dems.

The Tories change of tune is too little, too late.

Labour recognises that older people on fixed incomes can face problems in the meeting the costs of paying their council tax bills, That is why many people are exempt from having to pay or are eligible for support towards meeting these bills.

Council taxpayers – young and old – are having to foot the bill in this County Borough for the incompetence of the Tory-Lib Dem coalition.