Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6232734.stm

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

While I'll admit to not being a labour fan, I'm always dubious about the way these figures are quoted.

Take the current postal strike for example. Royal Mail/Media are throwing the 27% rise around but when you do the maths on it, it's only a request for just over 5% a year for the same time period.

I still think council tax is a rip off though! What can't be escaped is that the average rises are a long way above inflation (however you present it) and the rises have been matched with service cuts.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Service cuts, would that be fortnightly wheely bin collections in some council districts?

Let's just look at the TAX we Brits pay ...

Income TAX on earnings...
Council TAX.
17.5 % VAT on about every thing we buy in the shops.
VAT on Utility bill's
Fuel Duty
Road TAX

Without a doubt, we must be one of the most highly TAXED nations in the world.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

It's smoke & mirrors with all politicians...

Give with one hand & take away with the other.

Reduction in the basic rate of tax? Worthless...

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Well lets face it how else would Labour fund their illegal wars.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Live a better life... sell the house... go homeless with a kid get a flat and live on the dole. Sell the flat a couple of years down the road.

People I know did that and are living a much more luxurious life than I am.

How long does it take to make £150K in cash legitimately ? Some of us never make it ... I made it the hard way and am no better than the guy who did the above.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Lol, Like everyone new of the legalities when the 2003 war started. This has been often said by people who have jumped on the band wagon of calling it, "Illegal". You either agree with it or you don't.

Anyway i say down with the Labour Party and all who sail in it. He's now off in Europe selling my **** to Europe, i didn't vote for his rubbish party i didn't vote for hime to sell our sole to Europe and i bet the vast majority of people who were stupid enough to vote him in twice, didn't vote for him or others to relinquish our powers sovereignty or anything else to those bunch of crooks in Europe.

Anyone for an illegal war in Britain to bring this government down!
P.S Maybe tomorrow I've got some beer to drink first.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

But New Labour had 'no plans to raise taxes' did they ? :rolleyes:

Gordon Brown effectively forced local authorities to raise council tax rates so they get the hassle and the blame.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Exactly... New Labour reduced central funding & then blamed local councils for increased taxation...

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I dont agree with gulf war 2 full stop.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I like the idea there are legal wars :rolleyes: If Iraq wasnt such a mess it would not be considered illegal.

Anyway, Depending on how you sum up all the taxs we are taxed less than European countrys. I.E France. But then they spend more on public services

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

ok

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I'm not going to dispute the tax rises - I agree with everything you're saying. The service cuts though go beyond the much publicised fortnightly bin collections (which haven't yet been applied here) and vary from region to region. Over the past few years our local council has cut back on what we can recycle from home (no longer taking plastics of any sort) and there has been a reduction in visible policing in the area (remember they now get a portion of the council tax).

But all is not lost - I can now get all my my literature from them in what must be about 20 different languages just in case I can't - or won't - read English.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I'm sure it won't be long before Tax tax is introduced.

Anyway, scrap Council Tax, the most despicable tax ever. Scrap it and replace it with a system linked to your ability to pay.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I'm all for internet tax myself :/

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

So why should those that don't work because they cannot be arsed pay nothing . While those that got off there **** and did something with there lives and made it in to a good well payed job fund the **** bags.

Oh hang on we are now funding the **** bags when they are released from jail early so why not the **** bags that refuse to work.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Why should those who can afford more than treble the going rate pay the same as their neighbour who can barely scrape by?

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Calm down. Not everyone who 'doesnt work' is a lay-about. Disabilty, single parents and the eldely for example. This isnt Nazi Germany, we dont leave people to rot if they cant work.I wouldnt call people you dont know **** bugs just because you have jumped to conclusions about their lifestyles/personalitys/motives.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I call Godwin's Law.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Read it again

I said refused to work

where did i say anything about Disabilty, single parents and the eldely

And i will call someone that refuses to work when they can a **** bag

get it

Tell you what why dont you pay all my bills and so on as i dont want to work any more ?

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I couldnt think of a better example of a society that avoids caring for people who cant look after themselves. But as Bill C has pointed out he meant refused so I retract it.

---------- Post added at 23:36 ---------- Previous post was at 23:34 ----------

You didnt, but you said those who dont work, not those who refuse so I was pointing out not everyone is in the group of 'dont work' are people who 'refuse to work' but sorry, i retract it.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

We have been known to if they can though :td:

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I actually made it clear about the groups I was talking about.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Thank you

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

;No, we're not. Get a grip. Stop moaning. Do some research (do check out tax rates in continental europe), and then report back.

ps: comment on public transport as well if you want to.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Make the Welsh and Scots pay my tax back, you thieving freeloading gits.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

they are not illegal, because you dont agree doesnt mean the war is unjust

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Poll Tax ? Fair System especially for a fat a$$ sitting alone in his mansion :D

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Yes we are! I suggest you read my post again before posting a unwarranted, rude post like that - If you bother to look - I said we are *one* of the most taxed, I didn't state we are the most taxed - that's the bloody difference. :dozey:

What so you can perceive my next post that you don't agree with and label that one a moan too? What? Are you joking?!?! Pffft. No chance!

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Riiight....care to explain?

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Well, Out of 1st world countrys then we would not be the most taxed. Not every country has a walfare state, and all the other costs of the UK. Out of countrys simliar to us then we would not the the most Taxed

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Seems we get of quite lightly

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ta...nal-income-tax

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

If you hover over the definition link, you'll see those figures are for 2001... ;)

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

So, because he has mansion, he has to pay a huge council tax bill?

The council tax bill is for council services provided, and house size is a stupid way of allocating the amount you pay.

But the rich people pay up

http://www.nationmaster.com/red/grap...-by-richest-30


a lot ;)

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I'm waiting for the give with one hand....

I was at a seminar at the Revenue and Customs a few weeks back...the person there said that the 'reduction' is virtually worthless as they scrapped the 10% band at the same time and altered the thresholds accordingly - so most people will end up paying about the same. Apart, of course, from the people who really benefited from the 10% band, which is the very low paid and part-time workers.

That's absolutely correct, and it was the non-Labour councils that had more funding withdrawn than Labour ones too. Sadly they didn't count on the British public being intelligent enough to figure that out!

Somewhat off-topic, but I would personally define a 'legal' war as one that is ratified by a UN sanction (such as the first Gulf war) or where you are defending your territory (or being asked to defend it) from foreign invasion (such as Falklands or the Iriaqis defending themselves in Gulf War 2).

It's not an easy comparison to make in France as they have an very different tax system to us, but it's true that they take about 20% for SSC's (National Insurance) and that income tax rates are higher in some instances but much lower in other...for example the lowest earners are paying only 5% income tax...but they work it out in a way that the maximum anyone will pay (inc SSC) is approx 50%, which is similar to ours, when you include NI.

When it comes to Council Tax eqivalents, the French pay two lots! They pay a services charge and an habitation charge each year...like ours this will vary according to where it is, but generally it's less (quelle surprise) than we'd be paying here.

The other issues that you need to take into account are that the cost of living are generally lower than in the UK and that the cost of property are much lower too, so people are paying less on mortgates etc.

I'm sure there's plenty of stats that will prove either or both sides of the story, but my personal feeling is that the French are about on a par with the Brits, if not slightly better off overall (which is why they have a higher percentage of salary in investments and savings than us) but of course they have first class public services, which we don't.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

No we don't. As someone else rightly pointed out that this data is several years out of date. But regardless, that data is just TAX based on Income Tax - what about the dozen other TAXES that apply? I'll say it again - IMO, without any doubt, we *are* *one* of the highest paying nations when it comes to TAX.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Check again those are this years figures and if you notice we pay .2% more now all those years ago, we might have more stealth taxes now but other countries VAT rates are a lot higher than ours

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

We spend a lot less on health per person however.

Income tax and sales tax is higher in many other countrys as well.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Have I disputed that? No.

Look at my posts again please! I have been saying that we are *one* of the highest paying nations when it comes to TAX.

Nope I think you need to check again - It says those figures are for 2002, not last years data, but besides and I shall say this again, this data is for income TAX only. There is dozens of other TAXES.

The strength of the Pound compared to other currencies probably offsets the percentage rates of those higher VAT rates in other countries. So we probably still end up paying that little bit more.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

But with a higher income tax, and a higher sales tax (which are two of the biggest taxes). What taxs do we have that make up for those? What are you basing it on?

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Nope, history explains it all really

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Ah ok.

Only, I don't owe you anything and I'm no thief :D

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

tax tax isn't that v.a.t

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Like I said before, the French tax system is more complex than ours, and it's actually based on household income to some extent, not personal income. there are also lots and lots of thresholds at approx €5,000 to €10,000 bands where you will pay different levels of income tax, exverything from 5% right up to 50% so it's not a like for like comparison.

Also, like I also said before, the cost of living is lower, so even though a similar overall or greater level of taxation is being paid, it is being paid on a lower overall starting point, which means that less people are in a high tax bracket.

Looking at other taxes in France:

Alcohol duty is lower on locally produced products.

Fuel duty is lower in France (particularly on diesel which is more than double the European average, and which transports all of our goods to supermarkets of course).

The French have a state-subsidised energy market (although by the sounds of things not for much longer).

Council tax equivalents is generally cheaper than in the UK.

Capital Gains Tax is far lower in France.

Inheritance tax is somewhat different in France, so I couldn't say whether it's better or worse, but by the looks of it if your leave something to an heir, there's no tax to pay.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

France, i think, force you to give to the nearest relative. I.E Child inherits from parents.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

You sure?

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Well ok, there was that milky bar I half-inched when I was 7 but I've really been doing my best to forget about that.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Did you steal it from England :shocked:

*Gets irrational mob together*

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Not really shown any remorse either, by trying to forget about it :)

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

At the time my mother made sure I was remorseful - it's the punishment I'm trying to forget :erm:

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Burn him

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

It must be my failing eyes - I could have sworn your post just said "bum him".

I hate these cataracts :spin:

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Shouldn't be using a PC whilst in a waterfall :D

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Ooh dear.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

The hier (not spouse) is entitled to at least 50% by law I think, and no tax.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Because that's the fairest way to raise funds for public spending. What is currently happening is that masses of taxes are being diverted from income tax to all sorts of sales tax - this is regressive and hurts the poor more. Of course you can take it to extremes and target abusers of the system, but overall it's the best way. Your anger would probably be directed better at the super rich, rather than the 'lay abouts', who benefit far more from the welfare state than poor people (corporate welfare)

What should alarm anyone is that large corporations pay less tax than real people (30% versus 40%), they get tax cuts for a variety of reasons, escape taxes on dubious legal grounds and benefit from massive corporate welfare - subsidies, tariffs, various military/pharmaceutical projects that socialise risk, while priviatising profit. These profits are then tunneled into off shore bank accounts ,where they are free from tax when the rest of us earn tiny salaries in comparison and pay 40% of it to the government.

In the UK, we probably raise enough money from taxes to have the worlds best public services - unfortunately our governments are so corrupt that they sink billions into wars and oil, then claim that too much public spending might cause 'upwards inflationary pressure' to borrow the over used excuse.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Red Alert!!

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

:tu:

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Business rates make normal council tax look cheap! I've bought bigger premises for my london clinic in the last year and my business rates have shot up and I have to pay extra for refuse removal.....thats not covered! :disturbd:
I phoned up the council to ask them what I get for my business rates (bearing in mind that I live round the corner from my business premises and pay the highest band on that property). They couldn't tell me what I get for my money but sent me a booklet. The booklet simply explained how they calculate business rates and what happens to me if I don't pay them. There was no mention of what the council provides me with for my money! :D

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Isn't that like a protection racket?
You pay your rates because if you don't, the things they described in the booklet will happen to you?

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Unfortenatly we have a gullible population who think wow income tax reduced we better off. All give and take with more of it been take in recent years. People who are less wealthy are generally worse off with reduced income tax and increased council tax as income tax is more linked to ability to pay.

---------- Post added at 13:18 ---------- Previous post was at 13:16 ----------

Depends, someone on lower income here spends a higher proportion of their wealth on tax, whilst the wealthy here spend less. Mainly due to our over generous income tax system.

---------- Post added at 13:21 ---------- Previous post was at 13:18 ----------

Actually those who dont work generally pay less now anyway due to council tax benefit, the biggest losers under the current system are those who work but earn pennies.

Its very fair that those who earn more should pay more, the problem with society is they generally have the aittude of if you earning more it must mean you working harder.

---------- Post added at 13:24 ---------- Previous post was at 13:21 ----------

Something we rarely agree on :)

The idea of the tax system is to take those from who can pay and use it to fund public services and to provide for those who are in need. Some people forget this. Of course it does get abused but by a minority not a majority.

---------- Post added at 13:26 ---------- Previous post was at 13:24 ----------

Tax isnt about getting value for money for yourself its not like buying something from a shop.

---------- Post added at 13:30 ---------- Previous post was at 13:26 ----------

Not much to disagree with there, if people did their research they would find generally as a corporation you have a higher tax window so can get more before you start paying tax, you pay a lower % and its then easier to shift profits off shore for tax avoidance on interest etc. Agree on the governments as well.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Business rates are sent to the Govt & then distributed according to some calculation or another throughout the country which is why you have a separate bill for waste collection.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

We already have income based taxation for National Insurance and Income Tax and to a lesser extent VAT, where those who spend more will pay more.

But what I don't understand is why Council Tax should be income based too, it's a flawed Liberal policy, which is unworkable efficiently and is only aimed at attracting the lower-paid to vote for them - and I would expect to see this one rear its head again in the next election too!

We have a communitry based expenditure for things like schools, waste collection etc and generally these are per capita expenses. It doesn't cost any more for someone earning 50k a year to send their child to school than it does for someone on a low wage - so why should they again pay more?

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

One expenditure everyone forgets the Council tax pays for is Highways maintenance on all the local roads and pavements for which households with several cars reap the most benefit. No council tax can ever be fair if it has to be a one size fits all. Poll tax penalised childless couples, council tax penalises pensioners who have worked hard all their lives.

As long as it is only based on where you live it penalises couples rattling round in large houses but not by that much as the difference between a band A property and a band G is only a few hundred pounds at most.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Although highways are controlled by county coucils, not all of the expense comes from Council Tax, quite a lot comes from Central Government too for this purpose, funded in part by the Road Tax.

How did Poll Tax affect childless couples? Poll Tax affected households with lots of adult occupants but few wage earners worst.

Council tax does not penalise pensioners, as they recieve benefits to pay or help pay for it. As far as I can see, there's no real basis for your statements.

And it doesn't matter which method of collection is being used, if the total income has doubled in the last ten years then something is very wrong.

That's just plain wrong: in my area alone, a band A property is about £800 and a band G property is over £2,000 per year).

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

As for the range of payments I was basing it on this area with fairly small differences between each band.

Pensioner couples get no discounts unless they are in receipt of a means tested benefit, only single occupants get a 25% discount and this applies regardless of age or income. Is it just that people who have worked hard all their lives and finally bought the house of their dreams have to sell up and move because they can't afford the council tax?
Childless couples do not get the benefit of schooling for their children nor are they likely to be making use of social services. Admittedly under poll tax the hardest hit were households with several adults again these would also be like childless couples making little use of council services, however this has been mitigated by the introduction of council tax.

I look upon what I paid for whilst childless as an investment for the future when I or my family will make use of these things.

As for the Highways this area must be getting very short shrift from the Government as the state of many roads and pavements locally are appalling and the frequency of maintenance has dwindled alarmingly.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Recently the bottom rate of income tax was announced to be dropped and during the past decade the amount of tax paid by income tax has been steadily dropping, this is not a good thing. Within 2 years low earners income tax will double, NI isnt strictly income based like income tax is.

---------- Post added at 13:35 ---------- Previous post was at 13:33 ----------

Personally I think the poll tax was fairer then what we have now, at least it addressed situations where many adults each with their own income in a house pay more of a fair share and single people paid half of a couple, of course poll tax wasnt perfect and was generally set to high but the principle of it was better I think.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Unfortunately if only one person was working and any other adults in the house were not entitled to benefits the wage earner had to foot the bill for everyone under the poll tax system! Hardly fair at all!

And as you rightly point out the current NI system in particular penalises the low wage earner especially those who earn just too much to qualify for any more than the basic child tax credit!

There was some talk of a flat rate tax system, which provided there were no loopholes and a decent threshold before you started to pay might be a fairer system all round. :shrug:

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

According to your profile you live in Cameron's constituency, which is West Oxon. West Oxon District Council's average charge for a Band A property is £831 and £2519 for a Band G property. More than a 'few hundred pounds'.

Actually pensioners receive a windfall payment irrespective of income/savings from central government....but I take your point. However there's nothing to suggest it would be any different any other way...those pensioners with a little money put away will be paying Income Tax anyway.

So are you proposing a cherry-picked services form of taxation? You only pay for what you use? So childless couples are quite happy not funding education but those who do have children have to pay double to send their child to school? I think this is not only unfair but also virtually unworkable.

I think this is pretty irrelivant to the discussion as we're talking about what the Council Tax is spent on as a whole and what other sources of funding are forthcoming.

I'm not sure what you're using to base this argument on, but the amount of money collected by R&C is increasing not decreasing: Source

Income Tax Income 07/08 - £157bn National Insurance £95bn
Income Tax Income 06/07 - £144bn National Insurance £90bn
Income Tax Income 05/06 - £138bn National Insurance £83bn

National Insurance is strictly income based to each of the thresholds, 11% then 1% Source

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

You will also note (if you read back through my previous posts) I looked upon the amount I paid whilst childless as an investment for the future when I will make use of these services. So no cherry picking here. However given the amount of cuts most councils are making there wont be much left by the time I need it.

With regard to Council tax banding the majority for householders in the district live in properties between band B and band E so there is where the few hundred pounds difference is! The districts charge is only around a difference of £3.50 per band per annum as the charge is so low.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

The % of tax collected via income tax is dropping not the total amount of income tax collected.

NI is taxed at a lower % once a threshold is hit hence not strictly income based so big earners pay a smaller % of their income in NI then lower earners.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

I saw that...but I was asking if you supported cherry-picked services? So I assume the answer is no, but you don't actually give an alternative. You say Council Tax is wrong, Poll Tax is wrong - so what's the solution?

Do you know how Council Tax works? The District Council charge is always small, the vast majority of the payment goes to County, even though District Councils collect it. It's pretty pointless saying what the District charge if the County charge is expensive!

The average difference between band B and E in your area is nearly £600...so why don't you just say that the difference between Band B and Band D is "only a few hundred Pounds", which would actually be accurate...that would mean you wouldn't have to keep moving the goalposts on each post!

Better still...look at what is actually does cost you in Council Tax in your area here http://www.westoxon.gov.uk/files/download/3954-1524.pdf

:)

How can it when you drop the lowest rate in tax? Besides, the jump from 2006 to 2007 is over 9% when average earnings increased in the same period by less than 4%.

Now you've explained what you actually meant we can agree on your definition, which was as I described in my earlier post.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

As long as central government continues to dictate how much money local government can have/raise the system will be unfair, as not only do central government require more to be done locally on the one hand, they also limit how they can pay for it on the other.

I do not have the answers but poll tax was too closely related to household members and not income it hit the poorest (non benefit claiming) hardest (I did one weeks work a month just paying poll tax). Council tax is at least slightly fairer as you are likely to live where you can afford, and again this hits households with only one wage earner.

At least with local income tax, every tax payer would contribute something rather than the majority paying nothing.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Hope everyone knows or indeed remembers that the Tories 'robbed' the local government pension funds to keep the then Community Charge at a lower level. I think Labour have done a good job if the level of Council Tax has only doubled since they came to power - you can't have your cake and eat it, you want decent public services, you pay for it, simple as that.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

We agree on that one...we're in a position right now where Council Tax bills are at the ludicrous rate they are whilst central government is cutting their funding.

Except that if we maintained the Poll Tax and increased it at the rate of inflation I would expect the total bill for the majority of households to be less that the current figures are with the Council Tax.

However, it wouldn't make any difference which method of collecting local taxes you use as the funding from central government would still have been cut dramatically under this Labour government and the black-hole that is local government would still need to collect their money.

Local income tax wouldn't be any different, except that you would need the Revenue & Customs to collect it, adding huge additional manpower requirements in another poorly functioning central department, you'd need to assign different tax codes for people living in different parts of the country and then you would have to distribute the monies, usually paid in bulk lots by employers on an annual basis, back out to the local authorities.

If going down this route is unlikely to keep the costs down IMHO.

And Gordon Brown did it to everyone else...nothing much between them really is there? Except that Gordon Brown did whilst raising taxes and watching local authorities reducing public services, as discussed before.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Our local council tax is still less than we paid under the poll tax system as we were paying £140 pcm living in a 2 bed terrace then, and now we only pay £120 ish for a 3 bed semi.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Well I am in a band A property and its £60 a month following the 25% discount, £80 a month if I had someone living with me but then it would effectively be £40 a month for me.

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

What a neighbour

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1770

Re: Council Tax doubled since Labour came to power
 

Council Tax set to rise 4 - 5%

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7204745.stm

CPI 2% RPI 4%

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=19

Is CPI a real world indicator?

Not in my opinion!