Tag Archives: Bolton

Jun 12 2009

Council Tax Cover-Up!

A surge in council tax appeals in Bolton reveals systematic over-charging by Government Gordon Brown and his Ministers are deliberately covering up serious problems over the banding of homes for council tax

New figures have revealed that Whitehall’s council tax snoopers have been forced to redo the council tax bands of thousands of homes after appeals by householders across Bolton and the country.  

Official papers from Gordon Brown’s council tax inspectors, the Valuation Office Agency, have admitted that many homes are in the wrong band for council tax and families have been paying over the odds for years. Accidentally leaked minutes have confessed that if the tax errors became known, the Government would lose money and would have to pay tax refunds. This was also ruled out since it would generate “adverse press coverage… in the current climate”. 

The combination of a campaign by ‘Money Saving Expert’ Martin Lewis, the publication of these leaked minutes and an ITV Tonight documentary, has produced a surge in council tax appeals.   Now Parliamentary Questions have forced the Government to publish detailed figures on the changes to council tax bands. 

In the last three years, 190,000 existing homes have had their council tax band changed: 133,985 homes have moved down a band.  In Bolton 548 homes have moved down a council tax band as a result of appeals. This proves there are serious and systematic errors in the banding of homes, which Ministers have been covering up to save money.   The Labour Government has been caught red-handed fiddling council tax to make families in Bolton and across the country pay more.  Whitehall bureaucrats know that many homes across the country are wrongly banded, but have refused to correct the tax inspectors’ errors to save the Government money and save face.

The whole basis of our tax system is undermined if the state conspires to over-charge the public. Labour Ministers only want to reform the council tax system if it rakes in extra cash for Gordon Brown’s coffers.

May 26 2009

Bank Holiday At Turton Tower Fair

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On bank holiday Monday I spent the day with my family and friends at The Turton Tower Fair.   Turton tower is a beautiful old Tower in North Turton, Bolton which needs to raise funds towards it upkeep. So not only were we supporting a local historic building but we all had a great family day out.

My 9 year old daughter Scarlett took our dog Harriet in the veteran class of the dog show.     Scarlett and Harriet got through to the final but finished unplaced. Both were thrilled!

I am pictured here with my partner, Mark  having a glass of wine, I’ve no idea why I had two glasses – I can assure you all I wasn’t drinking two at the same time……………………………..

May 7 2009

Leighs Paints, Bolton

Left to right Gordon Bell, myself, John Capstick and Denis Garner

Yesterday I visited Leigh Paints in Kestor Street to meet with the Chairman Brian Leigh-Bramwell, Managing Director, Dick Frost and Technical Director, Gordon Bell.      Leigh Paints is a family run concern and really looks after its employeees, in fact adopting the Conservative ethos of ‘Bottom Up’ rather than ‘Top Down’ management.

The company employs 260 staff and is a paint manufacturer.  As well as normal coatings it specialises in fire retardent coatings holding 60/70% of the UK market.   One of the most well known structures covered with Leigh Paints would be the Forth Bridge in Scotland.

One of the  many issues we discussed was the apparent disparity in rules and regulations across the EU which disadvantages british companies from competing in the European Union.   Leigh Paints is also a leader in its field when it comes to research and development, however like many companies it needs help with some form of tax relief to allow this research to continue.   Instead of help all it seems to get is more regulation!

I have pledged that if elected I will do all I can to help their business, as well as many other businesses in Bolton.

Apr 26 2009

Is this the final nail in the coffin for pensions?

nailIt’s been an eventful week to say the least with a budget like we’ve never seen before.   There’s no doubt that Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are trying to appease the left of the party with tax hikes for what they call “the rich” but as usual their plans are naive and ill thought out.  They are in fact doing untold damage by targeting the people who can get us out of this recession.   Entrepreneurs are a vital part of our economy and the negative impact of this budget has not yet emerged.

What the Government has done, will in my view raise less revenue than expected,  and is just a gesture to punish those earning at the top end – it’s a political move by a Chancellor and a Prime Minister who are putting the interests of  Government ahead of the public.

The fact they have have gone for pensions – again, is unforgivable.   In the small print, and initially unnoticed are plans to tax anyone earning more than £150,000 on payments their employers make into their company pension schemes.   This sets a precedent in the taxation of pension schemes and we should all be very worried regardless of what we earn.

It’s very easy to say well they can afford it if they are earning 150k – this is not the point.    This government have already raided our pension schemes, and this further raid is simply a d isgrace, who knows where it will stop.    With the state of public finances and the total absence of any plan to control public spending and restructure the state, we are simply on a crash course.

Would you buy anything from Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling?   Well who’s going to buy the £220 billion of bonds they need to sell in order to even begin paying back this gargantuan debt they have saddled every one of us with?