Council Tax freeze 'benefits the wealthy'

The main pitch of Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of today's local elections in England's shire counties, was to stress that more Conservative run councils had taken advantage of Whitehall subsidies to freeze council tax in the past three years than councils controlled by other parties. This populist appeal to self interest is echoed by Scotland's governing Scottish National Party. UNISON Scotland has published important research demonstrating the socially regressive and unfair impact of a council tax freeze at a time of massive central government cuts:
http://www.ukwirednews.com/news.php/1481753-Unison-claims-council-tax-freeze-benefits-the-wealthy

Eric’s prefect used to threaten local council leaders

The debacle that Pickles deployed to control council tax rises (after spending years condemning the labour government’s imposition of council tax capping) looks set to end in an even bigger farce. Junior Minister Brandon Lewis has warned (also to be read as threatened) councils that work perfectly lawfully within the current rules with changes next year if they ignore central government diktat on how much money they can raise through council tax. The laughable DCLG letter is here.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/71262/130129_Letter-CouncilTaxFreeze-leaders-Jan2013.pdf

Council Tax freeze is an attack on local democracy

Tory local government Minister Eric Pickles vents spleen in the Daily Telegraph, accusing local authorities of being ‘democracy dodgers’ because they have the temerity to raise Council Tax below his centrally imposed 2% limit – to avoid triggering a costly referendum.

The undeniable case for Council Tax increases

Even the Tory led LGA accepts that local government has taken the brunt of funding cuts. The slash and burn approach to revenue support grants mean the cuts are now exceeding a third of all council spending by a further 5%, taking the cuts from 28% to 33%. The council tax freeze is only exacerbating the problem.

Progressive tax the answer to funding services

Johann Lamont presented the people of Scotland with some very difficult and very pertinent questions last Tuesday on the future provision and funding of public services. She was absolutely correct that world class public services cannot be provided when funding is being cut.

Scotland council budget cuts: UNISON calls for review of funding to protect vital services and jobs

UNISON Scotland has called for a review of local government funding to prevent further loss of vital local services and job following news of local council budgets approved across Scotland today. http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2012/janfeb/0209.htm

Council Tax freeze is an attack on local democracy

Heather Wakefield, UNISON head of local government, writing on the public finance blog, makes a connection between the additional pension contributions being levied on council workers and the announcement by Con Dem Chancellor Osborne that council tax in England will be frozen in 2012/13 (by an injection of £805m of government funds) - which will disproportionately benefit wealthy property owners. At a time of massive budget cuts, the removal by central government of the autonomy of councils to levy local taxes to fund discretionary services is also an attack on local democracy:
http://opinion.publicfinance.co.uk/2011/10/council-tax-freeze-is-lgps-members-lolly/