Labour Hammered in Local Elections

[peterjhale]

So now labour have lost well over 400 seats and most people look at the incompetence over the 10p tax being taken away.

Many have lost confidence as taxes have gone up and up and yet public services may not have improved.

What do you think ?


FYI - I've pasted the tax increases labour have introduced between 1997 and 2006 (the last 2 years just being as bad)


1997

1. Council tax up 6.5 per cent to Band D average of £688
2. Mortgage tax relief cut from 15 per cent to 10 per cent, saving Chancellor £800million-a-year
3. £5billion-a-year tax grab on retirement savings by scrapping dividend tax credits for pension funds
4. Private medical insurance tax relief for pensioners abolished
5. Health insurance taxed again
6. Fuel tax escalator up, leading to inflation-busting rises on petrol prices
7. Vehicle excise duty up
8. Tobacco duty escalator up (as fuel)
9. Stamp duty increased on properties over £250,000
10. Corporation tax changes
11. Windfall tax on privatised utilities, designed to raise £5.2billion

1998

12. Married couples' allowance cut from 15 per cent to 10 per cent from April 1999
13. Tax on travel insurance up
14. Tax on casinos and gaming machines up
15. Fuel tax escalator brought forward
16. Tax on company cars increased
17. Tax relief for foreign earnings abolished
18. Tax concession for certain professions abolished
19. Capital gains tax imposed on certain non-residents
20. Reinvestment relief restricted
21. Corporation tax payments brought forward
22. Stamp duty on properties increased again
23. Some petrol and oil duties raised
24. Additional diesel duties
25. Landfill tax up, from £7 to £10 per ton 26. Council tax up by 8.6 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £747

1999

27. Upper earnings limit for National Insurance contributions raised above inflation
28. National Insurance for self-employed people raised
29. Married couple's allowance abolished from 2000 for under-65s
30. Mortgage interest relief abolished from April 2000, increasing typical bill for average homeowner by £240-a-year
31. New rules to stop contractors in IT industry setting up firms to reduce their tax bills
32. High mileage discount for company cars cut
33. Tobacco duty escalator brought forward
34. Insurance premium tax up from one to five per cent
35. Vocational training relief abolished
36. Employer's National Insurance contributions extended to all benefits-in-kind
37. VAT on some banking services increased
38. Premiums paid to tenants by landlords taxed
39. Duty on minor oils, such as fuel oil, up
40. Vehicle excise duties for lorries up
41. Landfill tax escalator introduced
42. Stamp duty on properties increased again
43. Council tax up by 6.7 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £798

2000

44. Tobacco duties up by five per cent above inflation
45. Stamp duty on properties increased again
46. Extra taxation of life assurance companies
47. Rules extended on companies using foreign subsidiaries to shelter profits in low tax regime
48. Council tax up by 6.1 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £847

2001

49. Council tax up by 6.4 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £901

2002

50. Personal allowances for everybody under the age of 65 frozen
51. National Insurance rate to rise from 10 per cent to 11 per cent from April 2003
52. New NI band for higher earners
53. National Insurance for employers rises from 11 per cent to 12 per cent
54. Self-employed also rises by 1 per cent
55. North Sea taxation up
56. Tax on some alcoholic drinks up
57. New stamp duty regime aimed at stamping out tax avoidance
58. New rules on loan relationships
59. Council tax up by 8.2 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £976

2003

60. VAT on electronically supplied services
61. IR35 applied to domestic workers to stop families from reducing tax bills on nannies
62. Betting duty change
63. Tax on red diesel and fuel oil up
64. Rules extended on companies using foreign subsidiaries to shelter profits in low tax regime extended to Ireland
65. Vehicle excise duty up by £5 on cars and vans
66. Council tax up by 12.9 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,102

2004

67. New 19 per cent tax rate for owner-managed businesses
68. Six-fold increase in the amount of tax paid by tradesmen for using their vans outside working hours. For basic rate tax-paters, an annual rise of £110 to £660
69. UK transfer pricing introduced, substantially increasing red tape on British firms
70. Increase in rate of tax on discretionary trusts becomes 40 per cent
71. Increase in tax on red diesel fuel
72. Increase in tax on red diesel fuels, including LPG (liquid petroleum gas)
73. Council tax up by 5.9 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,167

2005

74. Cancellation of stamp duty land tax relief on disadvantaged areas
75. Tax on North Sea oil firms doubled from 10 per cent to 20 per cent
75. Tax on North Sea oil firms doubled from 10 per cent to 20 per cent
76. 0 per cent rate of corporation tax abolished which had been introduced by Mr Brown to encourage small businesses
77. Council tax up by 4.1 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,214

2006
78. Clampdown on trusts and insurance policies commonly used to cut future inheritance bills
79. Increase of £45 in vehicle excise duty for gas-guzzling 4x4s cars
80. Council tax up by 4.5 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,268

[Ian J]

I wonder how this will affect our unelected Prime Minister

[simonr]

Always good to see balanced and relevant discussion on the forum.

[peterjhale]

Originally Posted by simonr

Always good to see balanced and relevant discussion on the forum.

Not much discussion at all really - I thought a few people would chip in.

All I've done so far is to post some stats and Ian follow up on another stat.

Care to kick us off Simon ?