Mike Treleaven launches 'Axe the Tax 'campaign in the Totnes constituency

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 17th Oct 2003

Mike Treleaven, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Totnes, will launch the party's 'Axe the Tax' campaign in Totnes on Saturday morning ( 18th. October) at 10.30am in the Market Square. There will be an opportunity for people to find out more about Liberal Democrat plans to replace this iniquitous and unfair tax with local income tax based on the ability to pay, and to sign a petition which will be part of a national petition to be presented to Government. Commenting on the launch Mike Treleaven said:

' Council Tax must be one of the most unfair and most unpopular taxes we have. Introduced by the Tories and perpetuated by the Labour Government it has now risen to such high levels that it is an unacceptable burden to a large number of people, particularly pensioners and those on low incomes. It penalises the poor at the expense of the rich. A good example of this is our own Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who pays £1140 Council Tax on his Downing Street house with an income of £175,414, let alone what his wife earns. A pensioner in the South Hams on an income of 12,500 can be paying the same, if not more.'

He continued:

' We are asking people to sign our petition so that they can show Government that the system is just not acceptable and must be replaced with a fairer way of way of raising local taxes. That fairer way is the Liberal Democrat way - local income tax based on the ability to pay'