Tories target Labour on tax
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
In the run up to Christmas, Plaid were the party on the receiving end of Tory attacks. But Labour is the party in power; that's where the big gains must come on May 3rd.
And Welsh Tories have an uncanny knack of digging up dirt when it matters. Over the winter break, the other parties sat on their hands watching rubbish TV, but the Conservatives exploited the slow news days to get out a big story on NHS funding in Wales being less than in England.
This time, they've gone for the jugular - tax.
Welsh Conservatives [yesterday] warned that the Labour Assembly Government is plotting to revalue homes every two years in a move which could force council tax bills even higher.
The party has obtained a previously unreported submission by the Labour administration to the Lyons Inquiry into council funding which supports the idea of bi-annual revaluations.
Households across Wales have already been subjected to revaluation as part of council tax re-banding in 2005.
In its submission the Assembly Government argues the case for bi-annual revaluations, admitting that such a move will be seen as “increases in tax revenue being the main driver”.
I suspect the Tories have a few more trumps like this up their sleeves before polling day.
With a rainbow coalition almost certainly off the cards, the big race in Wales is for second place. Both Plaid and the Tories will be looking to set a strong foundation this time around to have a real go at a weakened Labour in 2011.
Labels: council tax, Labour, Plaid Cymru, Tories, Welsh Assembly Election 2007
posted by Blamerbell @ 10:31 am,
