Mike German Tells Assembly Government To "Axe The Tax"

12.00.00am GMT Fri 28th Jan 2005

Michael German, AM for South Wales East, called on the Labour Assembly Government to scrap Council Tax re-banding, at a rally outside the Assembly building in Cardiff on Thursday 27th January.

The rally was well attended and Michael German's speech was met with cheers from the crowd. "Labour are using Welsh councils as guinea pigs to test re-banding plans for England. Surely Wales deserves better than this? Council Tax has risen by an average of 70% in 7 years - this is 3 times the rate of inflation. We need a fairer tax, one that takes into consideration people's ability to pay not just the value of their house."

Local Lib Dem campaigner from Merthyr Tydfil, Ceirion Rees said: "Labour's re-banding idea is hitting communities very hard, especially pensioners and people on low income. Council Tax is an unfair tax that results in the poorest people paying over four times more of their income than the richest."

Speaking after the rally Michael German added: "Council Tax is an inherently unfair system of taxation; take my constituents in Merthyr Tydfil for example. They currently pay the second highest council tax rates in Wales and yet many people in the town have low incomes. Where is the fairness in that?"

Michael also addressed a public meeting in Pontypridd later in the day, where he again urged for Council Tax to be scrapped.