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Budget betrayal of the low-paid
• YOU are right to highlight the failure of Labour to abolish the hated council tax (Scrap this tax, March 30).
But, sadly, that is not the only unfairness in Gordon Brown’s budget. By abolishing the 10p income tax band, Labour has effectively doubled the tax rate for low earners, who will now be paying the 20p basic rate.
This will hit many households in Islington hard. Our borough has high numbers of single people who are not entitled to family tax credits. What’s more, the tax credit system is so complex that even those entitled to help find it hard to benefit.
It’s the same story for businesses. Gordon Brown is cutting the corporation tax paid by firms with annual profits of more than £1.5 million, but imposing a rise in tax for small businesses.
These changes are bad news for Islington. Yet Labour MP Emily Thornberry seems indifferent.
In the budget debate she praised Gordon Brown to the skies. She hinted she would like a promotion from the backbenches.
She made her usual partisan swipes at the local council. But nowhere did she comment on the fact that her constituents living on low wages have been hit so hard. What a betrayal from a Labour government.
BRIDGET FOX
Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate, Islington South and Finsbury
Morton Road, N1
• THE council tax is a necessity because services have to be paid for.
I am an 86-year-old senior citizen and it would be helpful if senior citizens aged 75 and over could receive a discount of 25 per cent.
EDWARD SCILLOE
Kelross Road, N5
• I WOULD like to remind residents who already pay council tax by direct debit that they have until Monday, April 16 to choose to donate their discount to the council’s new Climate Change Fund.
Islington Council is offering a £20 discount to each resident who pays their council tax by direct debit for the financial year 2007-8.
This sum will be credited directly to residents’ bank accounts within a month of the second instalment being successfully collected from their bank.
Alternatively, the council recently launched a new scheme, offering council taxpayers the chance to donate this discount to help tackle climate change.
The council has established a £3 million Climate Change Fund – the first of its kind in London – and residents can opt to donate their £20 discount directly to it instead.
Residents, organisations and council teams will all be able to apply to the Climate Change Fund for capital projects that reduce CO2 emissions in Islington, through generating renewable energy or green transport.
Residents can opt to pay by direct debit at any time during the financial year, and they can sign up to donate their discount to the Climate Change Fund at the same time. The April 16 deadline only applies to existing direct debit payers.
RICHARD HILL
Director of customer focus, Islington Council
Town Hall, N1 |
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