Ex-Tory Minister exposes Conservative lies

11.46.29pm GMT Tue 25th Jan 2005

Exposed - Tory Lies

Former Cabinet Minister, Peter Lilley, this week inadvertently showed that Tory propaganda against the Liberal Democrats' proposal to replace council tax with local income tax was in fact based on a deception.

Speaking on the BBC, Peter Lilley said that, "the average family will pay exactly the same amount under the [Lib Dem local income tax] system" (Peter Lilley 4:37pm BBC News 24 17th January 2005)

This is in direct contrast to Caroline Spelman's attempts to say the average household in England would pay hundreds more ("Conservatives have published research showing that a local income tax would mean an average household in England paying £630 a year more in tax." Caroline Spelman, Conservative Local Government spokesman, May 11th).

The Tory propaganda assumes that the average household has an income of around £50,000 a year. However, the true figure is around £22,000.

Since the Liberal Democrats' plans are related to people's ability to pay, independent analysis shows that their ideas would in fact produce a tax cut for many people, with a majority gaining. Pensioners and people on low and average incomes would stand to benefit the most. High earners from cabinet ministers to city speculators would end up paying more.

Commenting, Steve Sollitt, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Southampton Test, said:

"In the same week the MP for Wantage quits the Tories saying Michael Howard would "harm the country", Peter Lilley has exposed the deliberately misleading Conservative propaganda on local taxes.

"Peter Lilley has admitted that average families would not pay more under local income tax, just as the Liberal Democrats had always said.

"The truth is the Tories think an average income is now over £50,000. That just shows how out of touch they really are."

Steve added "Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to scrapping the unfair council tax."