Unemployed, disabled, and families on low incomes, face having to pay up to 25 per cent more.
Bradford Council leader, Councillor David Green , told the decision-making executive, this was an “invidious and despicable piece of legislation” with central Government forcing through cuts but not having the courage to actually do so, while passing it on to local authorities to implement.
He said: “I would urge all the councillors in Bradford to use any influence they have to lobby the Government and ministers over this legislation. There is still a chance they could rescue the hundreds of thousands of people across West Yorkshire who will be affected by these changes.”
Of the consultation, he added: “I will give an assurance that we will listen to people’s views and if people can come up with workable alternatives or amendments, we will listen and try to build that in. But I do stress it has to be seen against the backdrop of the Coalition’s cuts.”
via Ideas appeal over ‘invidious’ tax bid (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus).
Bradford Labour should be campaigning against the cuts, not “appealing” for others to lobby the ConDems! I have put the following proposals to the Respect Policy Executive:
Following the decision at last week’s District Assembly instructing the Respect Policy Executive to prioritise a campaign against the Labour Council’s plans to make the unemployed pay Council Tax, I’d like to propose the Policy Executive be convened to plan the campaign.
My proposals are as follows:
1. Petition forms be printed with the following suggested wording:“We the undersigned are totally opposed to any proposal by Bradford’s Labour-controlled Council to make the unemployed pay Council Tax and urges the Council to abandon such plans.”
2. Tables be set up in the City Centre (eg Darley Street, Tyrrell Street (outside co-op bank) etc to collect signatures as soon as the petition forms are printed.
3. Leaflets be designed and printed and distributed alongside petition-signature collections, and also outside job centres. Where local organisation is well-enough established, door-to-door campaigning should also be organised.
4. Our target should be to collect at least 20 signatures (should not be difficult!) so that the petition can be presented to the Council’s Executive meeting on Tue 6 Nov at 10:30am.Guidelines on presentation of petitions can be seen at http://bit.ly/BradfordPetitions.
KARL DALLAS
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