News from Sheffield Labour

Lib Dem local tax policies in shambles as Clegg u-turns

Clive Betts MP (Sheffield Attercliffe) today claimed the Liberal Democrat policies on local taxation were in a complete shambles.

Clive Betts said:

“The Liberal Democrat’s local tax policies are in complete shambles. Their leader (Nick Clegg MP) says one thing and their Local Government spokesperson (Julia Goldsworthy MP) says another in the space of 24 hours.

“It has been becoming clear for some time that Nick Clegg wanted to get out of the Liberal Democrat’s long-standing commitment to local income tax to replace council tax.

“There is a very simple reason for this. Superficially, local income tax can look very attractive when the economy is buoyant and growing fast. However, when economies are stagnant or in recession, local councils and local communities are faced with either massive increases in the local income tax rate or savage cuts in spending on services.

“Last night, in a parliamentary debate on business rates, I chided the Liberal Democrat Local Government spokesperson (Julia Goldsworthy MP) on the fact that she’d been able to make a long speech on local government finance without mentioning local income tax. ‘It’s our policy’ she
shouted to me.

“Then today, Nick Clegg MP (in an interview on Radio 4) finally admitted that he is actively considering alternatives to the Liberal Democrat’s existing local income tax policies. Yet, it appears, he hasn’t even told his own Local Government spokesperson.’

Clive Betts continued:

“Only 6 weeks ago, Liberal Democrat council candidates were telling people that their local income tax proposals to replace council tax would be fairer and could be implemented quickly.

“Anyone with any knowledge of these issues knew they were false promises.

“Now the cat is out of the bag and we see that the Liberal Democrat cupboard is bare.

“It’s yet another case of the Liberal Democrats saying one thing in one place and another elsewhere. How can anyone take their promises seriously?”

Other news from Sheffield Labour

• Station Bridge roundtable with Transport Ministers announced - 8 February 2012
• Paul Blomfield MP slams Tory "ambush" of Government Fair Access Director - 8 February 2012
• Angela Smith MP highlights economic problems faced by Barnsley - 7 February 2012