PRESS RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Peter Reisdorf
Date of Issue: Oct 16th 2006
Contact number: 0151 625 9274

“Cut income tax and save the planet” - Local Councillor

Leading local Liberal Democrat Councillor Peter Reisdorf has welcomed plans passed at the Party's recent conference in Brighton that would cut £1000 from the average family's tax bill whilst helping to protect the environment.

“The tax plans are the most radical put forward by a political party in recent decades,” said Peter Reisdorf, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Culture, Tourism and Leisure, after returing from the Conference.

“We want to shift taxation from people to pollution.

“Global climate change affects each and every one of us. We need to act now to tackle it. We therefore believe that cutting income tax, paid for by green taxes, will encourage people to behave in a greener, cleaner way, and to opt to travel in ways that are less environmentally damaging.

“Already local people in my Council Ward are taking the initiative by seeking to install domestic wind turbines on their homes in order to generate green energy.

“Overall, the tax burden on the nation will remain the same but we want to shift the burden from income, onto pollution, with green taxes on polluting aircraft and the most polluting cars.

“The income tax changes will also be part funded by closing some of the additional tax relief enjoyed by higher earners on pensions and second homes.

“Council tax would also be scrapped in favour of a local income tax.”

Liberal Democrats voted to: scrap the 10p tax rate; raise the level at which people start paying for income tax and national insurance to over £7,000 a year; cut the basic rate of income tax by 2p to 20p in the pound; and raise the point at which the 40p rate is paid to incomes above £50,000.