Axe the tax

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 11th Jun 2005

Ed Davey MP is heading a national campaign to scrap the unfair Council Tax.

"I know from talking to people that Council Tax is a major problem.

"Yet I was shocked to see the tax rocketing in councils across England, with pensioners carrying the heaviest burden.

"Did you know that, if you look at the proportion of income spent on Council Tax, the poorest pensioners pay nearly SIX times more for Council Tax than the richest non-pensioners?

"This unfair tax must go.

"Council Tax was unfair when the Conservatives invented it, after their failed Poll Tax, yet Labour's underfunding of councils has made it worse.

"We should replace Council Tax with a tax related to people's ability to pay. In countries like America and Sweden councils use a local income tax so pay pay what they can afford."

To back Ed's campaign, you can sign the petition on his website www.edwarddavey.co.uk or visit www.axethetax.org.