Those LibDemWatchComments
Today a new feature! It combines such sites as Sullywatch with Oliver Kamm's useful feature, 'Those Liberal Democrat predictions'. In short, it's 'Those LibDemWatchComments'.Today's LibDemWatchComment is 'Lib Dems putting taxes? Nothing new here'.
So what do the geniuses behind LibDemWatch tell us? First, they say 'Residents of Bath aren't too chuffed with the city's charter trustees', despite giving no evidence (the story has one resident of Bath in favour (a Conservative), and one against (a Lib Dem)). They're not too chuffed (or not as the case may be) because those charter trustees have '[raised] its share of the council tax by 27 per cent'. This is correct, but perhaps confusing. It's that share of the council tax allocated to the trustees that has gone up by 27%, not its share of the council tax. In brackets its added, 'And yes, this is the same party that wants to abolish council tax. You really could not make it up.' This is an interesting new idea in politics, that if your national party policy is to replace a tax with a different tax you are not allowed to increase that tax. Someone should have told Labour councils that during the poll tax, or Conservative councils that with the council tax. You could make it up, but there would be very little point.
Well that's it. No, I spoke to soon. There's more. LibDemWatch go onto say, 'Lib Dem Watch can't help but wonder what huge sacrifices the taxpayers of Bath will have to make in order to finance this astronomical hike in the mayor's allowance - and their council tax. ' Luckily the article gives a clue -- it will be about £1.16 per council tax payer per year. In percentage terms it will depend on the final council tax, but a quick search suggests it will be about a 0.1-0.2% increase -- perhaps not astronomical.
Oh and the reason for the increase is basically an increase in the rent they pay to the council -- which is in no overall control, ran by a joint Lib Dem and Conservative group.
In its pointlessness, hysteria and general lack of accuracy is LibDemWatch the new BiasedBBC?
posted by Matthew @ 2/10/2004 01:32:00 PM
Comments: 0
