I CANNOT understand why the council tax will be increased by 14 per cent from April 2005.

It appears that our new Lib Dem council will be no better than Labour. Surely council tax should not increase at all? What is happening to all the tax raked in from new building? Is this another excuse by central government for tax to be collected locally so that the local taxpayers contribute more and central government less?

This seems like another tax by Gordon Brown, on top of the 66 we are already paying.

The excessive rises in council tax, gas, electricity, water, fuel and interest rates will cause problems for everyone - pensioners, tax-payers and low-income families.

T Short

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