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She points out that of the 12,000 homes in the Borough worth over £2 million, 7,000 have been owned by the same families since 1999.
So why lump them in with the super rich- many here for all sorts of nefarious reasons?
As EDC points out..'The prospect of a Mansion Tax as currently envisaged would drive out these families and long-term residents, whether owners or renters, who tell us ‘it’s my borough too’.
There is another unintended consequence of the Cable/Balls plan....those ordinary Londoners, with little cash and fixed incomes, will be forced to sell to the likes of the hideous gay and woman hating Sultan of Brunei.....
And not a murmur of support from our pathetic Lib Dem councillors.
Oh dear, if EDC keeps this up the Conservatives might have to do some actual thinking work for once, rather than regurgitate what officers tell them.
ReplyDeleteBrave of Cllr Dent Coad to speak out against her Chancellor. But this Councillor will always put her residents first.
DeleteThe local Tories appear to be incapable of independent thought.
DeleteThe local Labour party put out leaflets for moths before and during the recent local elections stating their position on the proposed Mansion Tax. The Tories then proceeded to put leaflets claiming that the local Labour party supported the Mansion Tax.
There are two possibilities:
1. The Tories intentionally lied.
2. The Tories are illiterate and/or stupid.
Take your pick.
The Tories did not lie - It is a fact that the local Labour party did not oppose a motion on the Mansion tax, what is more some of their crowd spoke for the mansion tax.
DeleteYou are the liar Pine
Your reading comprehension skills fail you.
DeleteRead what I said:
1. Labour stated their position on the Mansion Tax on leaflets prior to the election.
2. The Tories published their own leaflets AFTERWARDS stating that Labour supported the Mansion Tax.
Unless the local Tory party had somehow skipped the intervening time period (time machine? or more likely simply asleep), they lied.
In any case, the only Tory motion I recall on the Mansion Tax argued to maintain the status quo, a situation in which a sultan pays only £10 more than a Council tenant, it did not argue for any form of reform.
DeleteIs that fair? No. Is it surprising the Labour party didn't support it? No.
EDC is on the button with K&C at the center of the storm. But the big story here is why no comment from the Tories? Paget-Brown asleep as usual. The guy is just not up to it.Too comfortable and not threatened. He does not care a damn about his residents. Just endless, boring "Nick listens" meetings. Well Nick you re turning out to be deaf. And even Labour is showing you up. Start doing something, mate.....
ReplyDeleteNick is quite simply out of his depth.
DeleteOh for a decent leader of the Council! First we had the fag salesman and now this! There's a pox on this Council.
Confirms what we know. This is a Labour Blog
ReplyDeleteConfirms what we know. You're a muppet.
DeleteMore like an out of control adolescent prick. Pops up at random times and in a random way. Pointless and futile.Cllr Palmer needs to start growing up The patience of his residents is astounding
DeleteThe local Labour party led by Cllr. Dent Coad is clearly intent on representing the interests of residents even then they don't necessarily align with their national party's policies. The electorate would be wise to pay attention and perhaps realise that whilst Cllr. Dent Coad and her colleagues are listening and acting on what they hear the Tories only ever pretend to do so. What was that phrase again? We listen but we don't hear?
ReplyDeleteThe Mansion Tax is a short sighted and stupid policy from the LibDems. Their party once supported the idea of a locally set and locally collected income tax - i.e. a progressive tax based on the ability to pay. The current LibDem leadership can comes out with the Mansion Tax; tripe you wouldn't feed your dog. I think I hear a toilet flushing.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see a local RBK&C politician representing their residents rather than the vested interests the current administration appear wed to.
ReplyDeleteResidents sometimes ask: 'So, you work for the Council'. I say 'No, the Council works for me, and I work for you'.
ReplyDeleteWe should always remember who we work for and who we have been elected to represent. Part of our job is to question and shape policy, local and national.
As for 14.02, I was accused by a senior Conservative of writing the 'SavetheCremorne' blog yesterday. What with that, my own blog, writing Hornet, AND editing The Evening Standard, that's a pretty impressive output for one person, besides all the Council and ward work. However do I do it?
You're superhuman. Whilst senior Conservatives are clearly dimmer than a 10w light bulb.
DeleteYou do write utter rubbish Emma, no one would accuse you of editing the Standard but thank you for the admission on the Hornet - we knew that a long time ago
DeletePalmer....you silly fellow....I have a feeling Emma DC is being playfully ironic.
DeleteAlleluia a Councillor who remembers who is boss, pity the rest of them don't realise this and start cracking the whip in Hornton Street. Believe nothing.
DeleteSadly the Ward Councillors of Chelsea Riverside (formerly Cremorne) ward clearly can't remember who is boss.
DeleteThe locals, rich and poor alike, are outraged at the Council's proposal for a Crossrail 2 station on the site of the Cremorne Estate and the Ward Councillors have gone into hiding.
Will they show up at tomorrow's TfL consultation event in the Chelsea Theatre? Or have they been instructed to keep quiet and out of the way by the NPB regime? If so, how long before that particular "clever" plan backfires spectacularly?
Having been to a number of Council meeting where this issue has been debated it has become abundantly clear that the Tory position is to ignore the inequity of the current Council Tax system - where a sultan pays a mere £10 more than a Council tenant - and simply bray on about the Mansion Tax, which the local Labour party clearly does not support.
ReplyDeleteThe local Labour party have in fact proposed reforming the current Council Tax system - by introducing more Council Tax bands (as in Wales; hardly revolutionary) and the regular revaluation of property (which local authorities in such "poorly run" countries as Spain seem to manage without much difficulty thus hardly beyond the means or wit of RBK&C one would have hoped). They are at least trying to ensure that the differential between a mansion in W8 and a Council flat in W10 is more than a mere tenner.
And the Tory response? More braying about the Mansion Tax no-one actually supports. "We hear but do not listen" could not be more apt.
Oak has clearly been paying attention. If anyone would like to read the longer text - taken from our response to the Tories' Mansion Tax Motion to Council in June 2013 - (do put your fingers in your ears Dame) copy and paste: http://kensingtonlabour.com/
DeleteOur concerns and counter-suggestions will no doubt change as more detail on the proposal emerges over the next few months.
It is wrong to tax the rich because they are rich. Council tax is designed to cover the cost of delivering service to a person (clearing dustbins, cleaning parks, etc). It costs the same to do this regardless of a person's wealth. This should remain the basis of council tax.
ReplyDeleteIf the Treasury needs more revenue then that is an issue that has nothing to do with housing. A system of raising the revenue in a fair way needs to be worked out.
If a group of people such as foreigners with hot money wanting a safe haven in London for their often ill gotten gains are distorting and fouling up the housing market, and causing social havoc, then the politicians need to analyze the problem and find a solution. For example, foreigners should not be allowed to own property in Britain. This is the law in Singapore - makes sense to me.
Owl has a twisted sense of humour
DeleteThe Establishment is too close to property developers who make loads of money building expensive houses for foreigners (ie Establishment people get their rake off). Not possible to ban foreigners from spending their money on London houses. Too many British spivs would no longer be able to afford Eton school fees and Marrakesh holidays.
DeleteDid any bloggers see Panorama tonight about the corrupt relationships between the police, politicians and the press? Its the way Britain works now. A clean up is overdue
Owl, linking local taxation to the cost of delivering services to individuals was well and truly rejected by the public. It was called the Poll Tax and it resulted in a riot.
DeleteThe subsequently introduced Council Tax is little more than "the Poll Tax with tweaks"; a fudge by that particular Tory government to replace the old rates system with something more palatable to its own political constituency and the wider public at the same time. As a result it's actually rather rubbish.
If you were designing a local tax from the ground up you'd start somewhere else. At the end of the day local authorities require a certain amount of income to fund their activities. You just need to find the fairest and most efficient means of collecting that money.
You could propose that local authorities should be 100% grant funded and do away with local taxes altogether. RBK&C might not do too well under that scenario however as the formulas current being used are quite simply not particularly favourable to inner city authorities.
You could propose a local income tax, managed locally, or by HMRC on behalf of local authorities, where the rate could be calculated on an annual basis based on the authority's planned expenditure. RBK&C would probably do well here, as would residents on the lowest incomes.
Irrespective of what the "local" tax collection system should be I would propose that local authorities should in any case have the ability to levy additional charges on second homes, empty properties, non-domiciled households, landlords etc. Basically anyone who isn't resident in the borough but is consuming residential land or property. All perfectly justifiable given that residential land and property are a finite resource.
EDC has always been Palmer's bête noire. Now that she is revealed as Superwoman, not just writing all the Dame's blog for her and the Cremorne blog as well, but in her new role as chief letters editor for the Standard, Palmer just has to sit back in awe and envy - and he can't stand it!
ReplyDeleteBilly Bunter Palmer cant stand it. Something about women of quality that drives him out of his tiny mind. Extensive briefing against the excellent Cllr Borwick and non stop carping about the outstanding Cllr Dent Coad. What a toad Palmer is. The vermin should be crushed under foot
DeleteCllr. Palmer has never been the same since he lost his job on Rainbow.
DeleteIf Cllr. Palmer has "issues" with women of substance the solution may be therapy. Or deselection. Deselection is probably cheaper.
DeleteWhat Councillor Palmer appears to have failed to realise is the simple fact that competent female Councillors are an asset to the Council. And in particular where they are willing to put in the hours and do the hard work on behalf of their residents and the community at large, like Cllr. Dent Coad. They put many of their male colleagues to shame, some of whom are quite simply bone idle spongers raking in their allowances.
DeleteBone idle spongers raking in their allowance? That'll be Palmer!
DeleteOak, this is all very interesting and intelligently thought through, I see where you're coming from. However our Council is sitting on a blinding £265m of Council taxpayers' money, in usable reserves. I do hope they think of something clever to do with it rather than chuck another £100m on a stupid leaky non-functional school.
ReplyDeleteI suggest pitch forks, torches and storming the Town Hall.
DeleteThey'll be too busy with cocktail forks, sausages and champagne to notice 14.55!
DeleteI often whether Matthew has yet to come out of the closet. He seems to have bonded with Danny Boys Moylan.
ReplyDeleteDo you want to reveal yourself to Hornet readers Matthew?
Oh no Mr Gaydar, now you've put an unspeakable idea in my head and it won't go away.
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOOO!!!
With reference to RBKC's planned demolition of Sutton Buildings and Cremorne, it seems only fair that some of RBKC's massive £265 million reserves is spent sending a wide selection of senior RBKC councillors and officers on a month's all expenses paid study tour of downtown DAGENHAM!
ReplyDeleteSo can we look forward to Tory Councillors traipsing around Dagenham maps in hand? They looked daft enough doing that round Chelsea!
DeleteAccording to one very staunch Labour member and supporter it was Linda Wade Lib Dem EC councillor that stopped the sale of flat at Earls Square as a resident of Family Mosiac I was very concerned about this and go nothing from Labour......Linda Wade might be Lib Dem but she is certainly not lazy or afraid she work tirelessly for the residents
ReplyDelete