Murphy to abolish massive rate rises on the way for millions of people his proposal is one which would, al first glance, find ready accepHowever, when the finer details of Murphy's plans are looked at his rate-free utopia disapThe money which rates bring in would still have to be found from somewhere: Murphy favours an extra, flatrate tax on everyone on the electoral roll.
Mess There is no doubting that the present system is a mess, full of injustices and inequalities, but a flat-rate tax would SYSLCI Illake system is based, at least on the ratepayers' pay.
The larger the house or building, and the more amenities it enjoys which in general means the richer the occupier the higher is the rateable value.
Murphy scrap that, but by saying — as the wall message ilopposite that these rate increases are, in the first instance, a consequence of national government policy. The cuts of Tory minister Michael Heseltine added to previous ones by the last Labour government Jucall that the local authorities are receiving less money central government, which usually accounts for just half of local government revenue.
COnsCuuCHiCe many councils feel that if decent services are to be maintained they have no option but to increase rates, which provide just 25 per cent of council revenue.
Recently, nave na doler burden loaded on them by the Tory governmell. This involves the increased allocatior of their resources they are oblig ed to spend on 'law and order'. As a result of Dy Tories umber employed i the Il la and order services police, court staff, and probation officers went up three per cent last ye the At same time teachers and workers in the social services were being sacked. As much as 8.5 per cent of councils' wage bills now go on and order', which is twice as much as gols lo workers in housing and the fire service combined All this might suggest that councils, especially Labour councils, have no alternative but to increase That may indeed be the case only if councillors see inemserves us Operaling in the isolated, localised world of this or tha borough.
The fact that they are faced with the consequences of national, axewielding, Тогу government policies shows that ed world does not exist To pretend it does is to court disaster. For although the rates system is fairer than that being proposed by Christopher rate increases do hit the working class, Just as ao rent riscs, or cuts in local government services.
There is no such thing as a socialist rates rise Although the advocates effect refusing to have anything to do with passing on, even in a watered down form, the policies of the Thatcher government. rises, Lambeth might hate Thatcher's rate but how will it react to those imposed by its own Labour council?