MAYOR GETS AWAY WITH DOUBLING HIS CHUNK OF OUR COUNCIL TAX

6.58.28pm GMT Thu 25th Mar 2004

Simon has warned that Mr Livingstone has doubled his share of Council Tax

Commenting on today's London Council Tax figures, showing average council tax for band D houses rising by 5.8%, with the Mayor taking an extra 7.5% to double his share of the Council Tax precept in four years, Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate, Simon Hughes, said:

"This inflation busting rise reconfirms that the Council Tax system is unfair and flawed.

"Ken Livingstone has now doubled his chunk of Council Tax since he came to power. It is time that he stopped throwing around other people's cash and started to offer real value for money to the taxpayers of London."

"The Mayor's 'I spend now, you pay later' proposals are leaving Londoners smarting from yet another hike in their Council Tax.

"The only way to stop the massive year on year rises is to scrap this hated tax.

"We need a fair local tax system based on the ability to pay"

ENDS

The Liberal Democrats proposed just a 2.7% rise on current levels - equivalent to just 11 pence per week rather than the current 7.5% or 33p a week increase adopted by the Labour Party.