Local Income Tax - the Liberal Democrats alternative to the hated Council Tax

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 4th Apr 2005

Northgate Councillor Gordon Seekings at the start of the Lib Dems Axe-the-Tax battle bus tour

Crawley Councillor and Lib Dem group leader, Gordon Seekings joined the Liberal Democrats Axe-the-Tax campaign battle bus just hours before the General Election was announced. "I've always been a supporter of a fairer way to raise money for Councils than the present Council Tax. The present system helps the rich and penalises the poor. What is needed is a fair system where those who earn more pay more and those who earn less pay less."

Gordon went on to say that "We have been attacked by the Conservatives for highlighting that a local Income Tax would mean that those that earn more would pay more. Far from hiding this fact we are trying to make as many people aware of it as possible!"

"It's typical of the Conservatives that the figures they have been using assume that an average family earns more than £50,000 a year. The reality is that in Crawley most families would pay less not more."

"A Local Income Tax is based on what an individual earns, like Income Tax, and is not a property based tax such as the Council Tax or the tax that the Conservative leader supported - the loathsome Poll Tax."

"If you want to know what you would pay under a Local Income Tax then go to www.axethetax.org.uk where you can check out your own individual circumstances."

Related Link:

Axe-The-Tax website.