Reply to: Salmond confirms council tax plan

[shaunbhoy]

Is there somewhere that I, as an Englishman, can vote for Scottish independence?

Yes. Scotland in the near future. Might not be a great idea for you to relocate there though with such a "Little Englander" outlook. Best stay in Essex or wherever it is that your chav roots come from.

HTH

[PM-Junkie]

Is there somewhere that I, as an Englishman, can vote for Scottish independence?

[DodgyAgent]

Yes, but not means tested on income. The Poll tax was not means tested on income just as the council tax isn't.

I for one thought the Poll tax was a great idea. Unfortunately the people who were penalised with the levelling of the playing field (i.e those less well off) didn't.

You pay a percentage of your income to the state as a whole, what you earn depends on what you pay. Local services should be met by all equally. You're already paying for the Shameless estate benefits, why pay for their binman as well.

Unfortunately the SNP are socialist with their policies, but I can vote for a socialist government as long as it gains me my freedom.

I think that council tax should to an extent be related to what you earn. In a way it is as it is levied according to the size/location of your house. What is done with the tax is an entirely different matter.

[Incognito]

It is a tax and the question is should it be levied according to means or not?

Yes, but not means tested on income. The Poll tax was not means tested on income just as the council tax isn't.

I for one thought the Poll tax was a great idea. Unfortunately the people who were penalised with the levelling of the playing field (i.e those less well off) didn't.

You pay a percentage of your income to the state as a whole, what you earn depends on what you pay. Local services should be met by all equally. You're already paying for the Shameless estate benefits, why pay for their binman as well.

Unfortunately the SNP are socialist with their policies, but I can vote for a socialist government as long as it gains me my freedom.

[Incognito]

It seems like a way of getting poorer people to pay a larger proportion of tax, by stealth. If not, why not scrap it and increase income tax?

I'll think you'll find the poll tax was scrapped years ago.

[shaunbhoy]

English Tax payers!

Or, to be more exact, from Tax payers living and working in England of various nationalities.

[AtW]

It is a tax and the question is should it be levied according to means or not?

No, it should not be. Poll tax (and council) as I understand it are taken to pay for local services like fire brigade, garbage collection, police etc - I doubt rich person generates much more rubbish then well off ones, but in any case the amount taken in form of council tax is way too high for the "benefits" it brings.

[DodgyAgent]

That is going away from the issue. We would still have local elections. We could probably cut out an entire layer of worthless pen pushers in City and County halls all over the UK.

It was you who suggested those who can afford it should pay more so why shoudl that be restricted to those who live in an area?

What is the point of having local elections if there is no link of responsibility between the service providers and the local people?
If central govt is funding the regions and making the decisions then surely central govt should pick who they delgate to. At least this way central govt then carries the responsibility for delivering council services.

[TykeMerc]

If the tax is raised and distributed centrally then how on earth do local authorities have any accountability to the people they are supposed to serve?

They never have had any real accountability, as soon as they're elected they have 4-5 years in uncontested power if their party has a majority in the council. The only thing that can change that situation is a sizable mutiny and as we all know politicians are far more concerned about their party loyalties than their electorate since they know what side their bread is buttered.
It's exactly the same for central government that's why I despise our electoral and political system.

[The Lone Gunman]

If the tax is raised and distributed centrally then how on earth do local authorities have any accountability to the people they are supposed to serve?

That is going away from the issue. We would still have local elections. We could probably cut out an entire layer of worthless pen pushers in City and County halls all over the UK.

It was you who suggested those who can afford it should pay more so why shoudl that be restricted to those who live in an area?

[DodgyAgent]

If the tax is raised and distributed centrally then how on earth do local authorities have any accountability to the people they are supposed to serve?

[The Lone Gunman]

It is a tax and the question is should it be levied according to means or not?

If it is a tax then it should be done centrally and distributed according to need so that rich boroughs like Kensington and Chelsea can subsidise poorer ones in, for instance, Merseyside.

[TimberWolf]

You answered it yourself. The poll tax was not an income tax.

It seems like a way of getting poorer people to pay a larger proportion of tax, by stealth. If not, why not scrap it and increase income tax?

[DodgyAgent]

You answered it yourself. The poll tax was not an income tax.

It is a tax and the question is should it be levied according to means or not?

[Incognito]

It was not a good idea at all. Should all people pay the same income tax regardless of income?

You answered it yourself. The poll tax was not an income tax.