"Axe the Tax" Campaign launched

12.00.00am GMT Mon 12th Jan 2004

City Liberal Democrats are lending their full support to their national party's campaign to scrap the council tax. Following a national policy document released this morning, the leader of the city council, Cllr Ian Nimmo-Smith, called on the government to Axe the Tax.

"We agree with Charles Kennedy and his team, that this is the most unfair tax in the country", says Cllr Nimmo-Smith. "Though as a council we are forced to collect it, we recognise that the council tax imposes severe hardships on those least able to pay", says Cllr Nimmo-Smith.

Lib Dems seek to replace the council tax with a much fairer system of local income taxes which will cut the tax burden overall for most pensioners and households, with no rise in the overall tax burden. The proposals, announced today, involve replacing council tax with a local income tax at 3.7 per cent. This would cut the tax burden for most pensioners and households, and there would be no rise in overall tax burden.

"It is high time to put an end to this unfair tax and replace it with a much fairer system of local taxes", says Cllr Nimmo-Smith.

"We would like to hear from Cambridge citizens about their views ­ do they agree with us that the council tax should be scrapped and replaced by a fairer tax which reflects your ability to pay?", he adds.