Nick Paget-Brown is to be congratulated for fighting on behalf of residents whose lives will be turned upside down if this crass and and badly conceived tax on family homes becomes law.
It's not just this punitive tax long term residents will have to pay: they will still have to pay council tax!
The Dame has previously called upon resident associations to band together to form a cohesive and coherent opposing voice....but so far her call has fallen on deaf ears.
Paget-Brown needs our support on this vital issue.
Even London Labour MP's and councillors have grave doubts about the rightness of this tax and have better proposals using council tax bands or rolling up tax until disposal.
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Help me debunk the myth of the
mansion tax billionaire | 03 October 2014
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Let's
show the mansion tax for what it is - a silver tax, a family home tax
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There are about 12,000 homes in the Royal
Borough worth more than £2m, all of which are the target of a ‘mansion
tax.’
We suspect that many of these properties are family homes bought or
inherited many years ago.
Their owners are community people, part of a stable older population,
who worked hard to create a family home. Many are now retired. Several
are elderly and on fixed or relatively modest incomes. Increasing
numbers live alone.
But a popular myth is that the owners of these £2m+ homes are international
bankers, oligarchs and corporate raiders – ripe for taxing with a
‘mansion tax’.
We are looking for people to help us debunk this myth.
We want to show the ‘mansion tax’ for what it is a ‘family home
tax’ and ‘a silver tax’ and paint a true picture of what it will mean
to the people who will be expected to find £27,000 a year in ‘mansion
tax’.
If you would be willing to help us paint this picture please contact me
directly:
· Post: Cllr Nick Paget-Brown,
Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London, W8 7NX
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The Mansion Tax is indeed a poorly thought out tax. There are much better ways to tax property, reforming Council Tax being the most obvious.
ReplyDeleteHowever as currently proposed the Mansion Tax is a 1% charge on the value of the property OVER £2 million. In other words anyone expecting to pay £27k in Mansion Tax (as suggested by our Dear Leader in his wonderful missive) owns a property valued at £4.7million. Such a person could easily downsize to something worth just under £2million with little if any risk of being forced out of the borough as a result, unlike many other residents, and end up paying no Mansion Tax whatsoever.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Nick's email suggest that despite harping on about "residents with £2 million homes and no income" the Council don't actually know of any real cases?
ReplyDeleteWhy would the Council know? Most people keep this information to themselves.
DeleteStop being idiotic.
In which case surely it was a bit premature of the Council to suggest that there were a great many such people?
DeleteAnyway, retired on a fixed income is a target and as the council knows that age group statistically they are making a highly educated guess
DeleteLet's be honest - the Council, as in the officers, actually know nothing, because this is not an area they have ever been asked to research. The politicians however, know everything. They have researched nothing, as usual, but reality must bend to their particular world view. Their guess is not "educated", an educated guess requires some basis in fact, it is in reality merely a projection of what they want to believe.
DeleteThe FT ran an article back in July in which the author had examined the available ONS statistics and cast doubt on whether a significant number of such people would ever show up. In fact they noted that the number of households living in properties valued at over £2 million with incomes below TWICE the median income (about £53,000/annum) appeared to be absolutely tiny. They concluded that if such people are the principal argument against a mansion tax it's not much of an argument at all.
ReplyDeleteExactly, the main argument against the Mansion Tax should be that it's simply not very good. It won't raise very much money and it doesn't change the fact that the country's principal property related taxes - Council Tax and Stamp Duty - are rubbish; both arguably regressive and hitting those at the bottom end of the housing market hardest. We need a ground up rewrite of these taxes not more tinkering at the edges. Unfortunately tinkering appears to be all our MPs are capable of.
DeleteHow does Stamp Duty hit the bottom end of the market?
DeleteStamp Duty simply hasn't kept up with house price inflation. So whilst 15-10 years ago only a fraction of house purchases were subject to Stamp Duty (or its equivalent) now they pretty much all are. And in London that's a near certainty as the number of properties selling for less than £125k is close to nil. This is reflected in the amounts taken by HMRC - £2.2bn in 2000/01 rising to £6.5bn in 2007/08.
DeleteA radio programme spoke about this some months ago. The people who phoned in to protest against the proposed tax were almost entirely the people hoping to inherit these homes. It seems we really do need a detailed study on how many people are in the situation you describe, Dame. It might be that many of them are living happy, if modest, lives. And it may be that some would dearly like to move from a house they're finding hard to keep up with in terms of heating and cleaning but their rellies are very, very keen for them to stay just where they are.
ReplyDeleteIn which case the solution is quite simple - those expecting to inherit multi-million pound homes can foot the bill.
DeleteWhy? Idiot? They are already paying IHT
DeleteAre you incapable of engaging in a debate without resorting to name calling? If you are of the opinion that someone expecting to pay inheritance tax upon inheriting a property should not also have to pay the mansion tax then by all means say so. But try to do so without sounding like a ten year old. I would merely note that inheritance tax may not apply; it is easily and often circumvented by those with much to pass on/inherit.
DeleteYou are still a blithering idiot if you think it fair to tax property....and IHT should be scrapped too
DeleteHas a member of the Tax Payer's Alliance decided to drop by?
DeleteDear 13:33. Thank you for so eloquently shining a light on what is probably the Council leadership's real problem with a proposed Mansion Tax. They simply don't believe in, or wish to pay, any property taxes. No more, no less. They wouldn't be in favour of any form of Council Tax reform either. The sorry tale of the asset rich, income poor is sadly likely to prove to be little more than the lie by which they mean to hide their true intentions. It'll certainly be interesting to see just how many examples they manage to find. I suspect very few.
DeleteDon't tal bollocks...envious creep! If a couple have both worked their balls off for thirty odd years slaving away and used the money to buy a 2 bed C. London flat then good luck to them. They paid tax on the income so why should they pay anything more? They could have bought classic cars and shielded themselves from any tax. This country is in the hands of no hopers like you too lazy/incompetent to create wealth and desperate to grab other people's through tax....take a hike!
DeletePlease note that it is perfectly possible to work your balls off for thirty years, pay your taxes, acquire property in central London and not turn into a complete shit in the process. Others have done it. You can too!
DeleteAs we never met how do you know I am a complete shit: I could be a partial shit....now take a hike, you old lemon
Delete10:56
DeleteYour vulgarity is not welcome on this blog. If you can't conduct yourself with maturity the Dame will take action.
Thats a new position for the Editor of the Hornet to take, must be her time of the month
Delete10:56: You are quite correct. I don't know you. And I don't really want to. But I was not the first to make baseless assumptions about another poster. I believe you did that at 20:03 yesterday in your response to 15:51. For all you or I know 15:51 is fits your description of a property-owning hard-working individual. There is in fact nothing to suggest that they do not. They simply do not share your particular views on taxation. They are not alone.
DeleteTo be fair to Nick he has at least got a proper grasp on the actual number of homes affected: 12,000 in the borough. One of his parliamentary colleagues has claimed the Mansion Tax would impact "hundreds of thousands of home owners" which is a tad hyperbolic. No doubt for "dramatic effect".
ReplyDeleteThe "dramatic effect" being to suggest that this will affect a great many people when it clearly won't. Unfortunately this narrative plays to those who aspire to own £2+ million homes or who believe their £1+ million home might one day be worth £2+ million. And they tend to be quite a vocal lot.
DeleteThis is a very sad blog. 25 entries and not a single one responds to the Leader's request for material to help him build a case against the Mansion Tax. No wonder the Councillors have given up on K&C residents and treat you all like muppets. You deserve to be treated like muppets.
ReplyDeleteWell said 17.21. K&C residents ARE MUPPETS
DeleteThe Dame was astonished that her call to residents associations to coalesce to campaign on issues which bind them together fell on deaf ears.
ReplyDeleteShe thinks RA supremo's consider her just a little vulgar....like 10:56.
Come on, residents....ask your RA why they remain so parochial when they have the chance to wield real power on planning, basements and the property tax.
Resident Associations!! Useless bodies. Niche activity for the living dead. Typical AGM Agenda is (i) re appoint the Chairman (ii) ask what time of day it is (iii) take a glass of wine (iv) two minute address from Tory Councillor "I want to congratulate all you wonderful residents". Reply from half a dozen 80 yr olds - "What did you say?"
DeleteDear quaint Dame. You have a romantic attachment to the idea of "order" and the notion of representative Resident Associations that can oil the wheels of democracy. On this occasion, and in this Borough, unfortunately you are "smoking something". Rock on, baby.......
DeleteCllr Fielding-Mellen should be kept out of this
DeleteFly On The Wall should not attack the relics. It is no surprise that our Associations are so useless. After years of being ignored and patronised by Hornton Street residents have voted with their feet. The same reason that 70% of residents do not even bother to vote at Local Elections.
ReplyDeleteA great pity because so much needs to be done. As the Dame keeps pointing out. We need wise and patient Leaders who can figure out what needs to be done and then carry residents with them. The Tories have killed Democracy in K&C and consultation no longer works. This is the legacy of reptiles like Pooter.
Cllr Paget-Brown will not get his answers to the Mansion Tax evil from Resident Associations. He should not waste his time there.
ReplyDeleteThe more that we think about the past history of the Royal Borough the more evident it becomes what a plague the Cockell style of Leadership was. A fundamentally destructive episode for Democracy. The Tories have much to answer for.
ReplyDeleteThe Tories need a populist style of Leadership in K&C. Someone who can instinctively connect up with local concerns and articulate these. There are dangers of Farage style tub thumping and Pork Barrel politics but we still have good horses in the stable.
DeleteCllr Mills showed during her Mayoral year that she has the common touch and connects up. Cll Borwick is another Councillor with outstanding empathy, energy, concern and common sense - unfortunately she was side lined by Cockell so went elsewhere and has carved out a stellar career at the GLA. Cllr Dent-Coade is another Councillor with her finger on the pulse of representative democracy. Emma's Blog is a fountain of "where it is at".
Promising youngsters like ex Cllr Mosley and ex Cllr Cecil voted with their feet when faced with the futility of hopeless democrats and demi Gods like Cockell, Warwick and Mackover. Young men of quality do not waste their time when forced to engage with dead wood.
And then there is Cllr Paget-Brown. A breath of fresh air to the Tory Leadership. Maybe he is our man.
When organisations enter a phase of young talent who are forced to vote with their feet and mature talent being blocked and moving on, a deadly spiral sets in. Seats still need to be filled so trash like Cllr Mackover (who is a Deputy Chairman of Planning but feels too grand to attend a single training meeting arranged by Officers) and Cllr Palmer find their way onto the back benches. And residents suffer.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteIt takes a long time, determination and ruthlessness to reverse this kind of organization decline
DeleteCllr Makover is of course part of the Pooter intake to the Conservative back benches. Hand picked by the disgraced ex Leader.
DeleteMakover has no experience of Local Government and has no qualifications or knowledge about property and planning. It is appalling that he cannot find time to attend training sessions laid on for him to help discharge his duties on the Planning Committee. A classic case of "bums on seats" that has become all too common in Hornton Street.
The Dame has just removed a comment made by Cllr Palmer. Palmer referred to a highly regarded colleague as a 'snake'.
ReplyDeleteFunny in a way when one thinks that his own colleagues consider him 'as mad as a cut snake'!
And Cllr Palmer the Dame thinks it time you called her to discuss the curious incident of unauthorised phone calls to Australia. Was it you and did you repay £500?
1 You have no evidence it was Cllr Palmer who described Borwick as a snake.
ReplyDelete2 Why are you so keen to protect Borwick from the name calling, when almost every other member of the Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Group have had to be called much worse on the Hornet.
3 Is it due to the fact that Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Group know that Cllr Borwick leaks to the Hornet and she is now trying to get Kits seat.
1. You seem so sure the Dame has no evidence. What gives you that certainty?
ReplyDelete2. When any councillor behaves badly the Dame will vehemently criticise them: when they behave well she is fulsome in her praise. In fact, the Dame receives 'stick'(as Ludo bewilderingly calls it) for praising Nick P-B, Tim Coleridge, Cllr Mills and others.
As far as Borwick is concerned she is not criticised because she seems to be held in high regard.
3. Interestingly, it was always Cllr Palmer who accused Cllr Borwick of 'leaking'.
The Dame can assure you that Cllr Borwick has never done so.
Why don't you provide evidence, Cllr Palmer? Probably, the answer is that you have none.
If you focused on your work as a councillor, rather being distracted with your share portfolio during vital council meetings, the Dame might praise you......
In answer to questions
ReplyDelete1 : I do not, apart from what I know, which I am not going to share with you.
2 : Ludu and your fantasy world is not worth a discussion or indeed a debating point. Borwick is not held in high regard with the leadership of the council past or present, or indeed the rest of the group.
3 If you ask Cllr Palmer to show you the evidence of Borwicks leakiness I am sure he will let you - I think he has shown everyone else in the Conservative Group the evidence (including Borwick). Your denials of Cllr Borwicks behaviour is worthless, but then you were the individual who received the leaks, so what would one expect.
"I do not, apart from what I know, which I am not going to show you"
DeletePhew, just exhausting ploughing through that piece of comedic complexity!
Your grasp of grammar is as weak as your grasp upon reality, as per below....
'Your denials of Cllr Borwicks behaviour is worthless' is but one example: maybe, you might be better off not reading the Dame's wisdom then you would not need to comment and make a total idiot of yourself.
Come out of the closet, Palmer! We know it's you....
So no response to the answers 18.26 gave you
Delete1. The Dame says provide the evidence you have proving Cllr Borwick has ever leaked information. She is happy to publish that evidence.
ReplyDelete2. She has no interest in how fellow councillors perceive Cllr Borwick. The Dame has her own opinions.
Hope that helps Cllr P.
Matthew
ReplyDeleteYou showed everyone, including the Chief Whip and the GLA your 'evidence' it was like you a load of tosh. Your phone calls are different. Come clean on them. Everyone knows.
Dear Sicko Palmer
DeleteI gather the so called leak involved a fictional attack on your car. Oh so confidential. You are just so, so sick. Get some help from Doc Tannock or get lost.
Dearest Dame, Palmer has done it again, he is a master/monster of distraction. This blog is about the proposed Mansion Tax, but look, he has diverted attention to his own sad obsessions.
ReplyDeleteCan we stop him doing this please?
What a sad fellow Cllr Palmer is. Time for him to get a life.
ReplyDeleteThere is a well known pattern that sometimes happens in large organisations. Weak and insecure Leaders (Cllr Pooter) feel threatened by others (Cllr Borwick) and encourage the acolytes (Cllr Palmer) to demonise the threat. The camp followers (the Tory poodles) take up the campaign and the demonised person (Cllr Borwick) goes on to serve with success and distinction in another organisation (the GLA). Hornton Street is the loser. And K&C residents.
ReplyDeleteThe Pooter/Palmer partnership is a shoddy little show.
Paget-Brown needs to get shot of them both. A pox on the Royal Borough
Delete