Labour's Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly is hitting back at Andy Burnham's proposal to overhaul the council tax system, accusing him of targeting "Middle England" with yet another tax hike. Burnham's plans, which are still in the early stages, reportedly involve replacing council tax and stamp duty with a new house price tax. Cleverly strongly opposes the idea, arguing that it would lead to higher taxes for homeowners across England, rather than a tax cut for hardworking families. As Labour gears up for the 2024 general election, the debate over council tax reform is likely to escalate, with implications for millions of households nationwide.
Labour’s 2024 manifesto did not include any specific commitments on council tax but two models are being floatedJames Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, has accused Andy Burnham of planning “more ways to tax Middle England”. Responding to reports that Burnham wants to change council tax (see 10.03am), Cleverly said:Andy Burnham and Labour are just looking for more ways to tax Middle England, and raise taxes on people’s homes.Replacing council tax and stamp duty with a new house price tax would not be a tax cut for hardworking families – quite the reverse: people across England would end up paying more. Continue reading...
