Budget proposals tinkering at the edge says Totnes Liberal Democrat

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 16th Mar 2005

Gordon Brown was accused of 'tinkering at the edges' today as he announced budget proposals clearly designed with an election in mind. Speaking after the budget speech Totnes Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Mike Treleaven said:

'We are the 4th. richest nation in the world and yet we still have a situation where the 20% poorest people pay a higher percentage of their income in tax than the richest 20%. The chancellors proposals on Council Tax will be welcomed by pensioners, but tinker at the edges and do nothing to address the fundamental unfairness of this tax. Under Liberal Democrat proposals for local income tax thousands of pensioners in the Totnes constituency would pay no local income tax at all. In a low wage area such as there is no help for the low paid with this iniquitous tax that has to go. No mention has been made of the forthcoming property revaluation which will put many properties into a higher band resulting in up to 22% increase in Council Tax.'

'The uprating of the pensioners credit is another example of tinkering at the edges. 2 people in five who are entitled to the credit do not claim it. It is time that we had a Citizens Pension that brings an end to means testing for the oldest pensioners and discrimination against women'

'I am pleased that the Chancellor has taken on board Lib Dem proposals to raise stamp duty thresholds, but why stop at £120,000. The average first time buyer pays £131,000 and in this constituency considerably higher than that. Why could he not have gone all the way with our proposal and raised the threshold to £150,000?'

'Altogether this is an electioneering budget that does little to solve the real problems of people living in this constituency, problems that have real solutions offered by the real alternative, the Liberal Democrats.'