What price "Localism"?

stockhausen said:
In pursuit of Cameron's "Localism" initiative, George Gideon Oliver Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and multi-millionaire heir to the Osborne baronetcy has come up with the cunning vote-grabbing idea of dictating to Local Councils that they may not increase the Council Tax.

Pass the sick-bag Doris.
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Damned for raising taxes, damned for freezing it.

Personally, I welcome it. Vote grabbing is not unique to the Conservative camp.
 
Just for the record.

Councils don't get to keep any council tax and there is little incentive to whack it up.

Council tax is collected for central government and they divvy it out to all LAs.

London collects loads much more than Liverpool but they may end up receiving the same.
 
They aren't dictating, they have no power to force it on councils. However if councils freeze or lower council tax they get extra central funding. What's the issue here?
 
aproctor said:
Just for the record.

Councils don't get to keep any council tax and there is little incentive to whack it up.

Council tax is collected for central government and they divvy it out to all LAs.

London collects loads much more than Liverpool but they may end up receiving the same.
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It doesn't work like that. The LA collect the Council tax and it is distributed to precepting authorities such as Police, Fire, Parish Councils etc.. Business rates and Grants are distributed from Central Govt, but Council tax is distributed to the precepting Authorities and Agencies by the local Council.

Hence the extra grants available to Local Councils if they freeze their council tax rates.

There is significant incentive for local authorities to raise tax rates, as they can cover the shortfalls between the Council tax (which is only a small part of the overall local budget) and central Govt funding.
 
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AcidHell2 said:
They aren't dictating, they have no power to force it on councils. However if councils freeze or lower council tax they get extra central funding. What's the issue here?
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I take it that if someone approached you in the street and invited you to hand over your mobile and wallet as an alternative to having a knife stuck in your guts, you would consider that there was absolutely no question of force or coercion since you were quite at liberty to reject his suggestion :confused:

Perhaps if you were actually to read my opening and subsequent post about refuse collection you would (with a little effort) realise that my points are that:
  • Cameron & Pickle's "Localism" plans are meaningless waffle
  • No matter how dire the state of the economy, the Tories can always find a few hundred millions in order to grab the headlines around conference time

You really, really should stick to cutting and pasting F1 gossip sunshine :p
 
platypus said:
If it forces councils to continue cutting unneeded excess, curtailing top level pay and pensions then I'm all for it.
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and if it means maintaining top level pay and pensions but cutting meals on wheels or your local day centers, help for the elderly, disabled you still all for it? :o
 
jas72 said:
and if it means maintaining top level pay and pensions but cutting meals on wheels or your local day centers, help for the elderly, disabled you still all for it? :o
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It's all waste, after all why should rich people who work hard pay for old people to eat - they should get out of the nursing home and get a paper round or something.
 
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