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Originally Posted by towny
Hang on, Labour could have repealed the Conservatives' Student Grant legislation had they wished; they didn't. They could have abandoned school league tables; they didn't. They could have fully returned the Grant Maintained schools to Local Authority control and funding; they didn't, choosing instead a fudge to keep middle-class voters on-side. The Conservatives have never proposed going as far as Labour has with university tuition fees.
When you are in opposition, talk is cheap. All that matters is what you do when you get the chance. By that measure, Labour hypocrisy is astonishing. If you've watched the video clip I linked to, you will have seen Michael Howard listing off one or two of the things Blair pledged in the past but has shrunk back from now. As Howard said, we could debate the past for hours, the present and the future is more important.
But while we're talking about the past, to call the Council Tax 'son of the Poll Tax' (as Labour did when in opposition, and which you have implied) is completely bogus. The Council Tax is based on the value of your house and is therefore much more closely related to the rates. And as for the rateable value of your house ... the rateable value is now essentially meaningless, except for determining water bills if you don't have a meter. You pay £450 more because the council wants more of your money in order to function. Do you really think that if you were still billed on rateable value, the council would not have upped the %age of RV that you would have to pay them? Or do you think your council's budget for this year would be £x million lower as a result of some inability to get as much money out of you through rates as compared to council tax?
And if Council Tax is so bad, why has Labour done nothing about it in the last six years, and why does it not plan to do anything about it for the forseeable future?
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my my thats a big quote
most politicians achieve nothing because they spend far to long arguing about it instead of doing it. you are right they could have repealed everything the the conservatives ever did, but then that would have had to be the sole objective for that term in office. it is easier to live with and adapt the last governments policies than to repeal them, the conservatives do that as well you know.
I call the council tax the poll tax because the bill never changed it was the same amount, only the name changed. and it's cost has risen at well over the rate of inflation which leaves me feeling mugged every time I pay it. it's name is irrelevant, it's cost is excessive, it is not nor has it ever been value for money.
what do the conservatives plan to do about the council tax? come on cheer me up