SO, the Liberal Democrats are going to start a petition for a local income tax.

This is a Lib Dem national campaign and will do nothing to help local residents improve their quality of life via the things currently under the control of local council and its elected councillors.

This is a typical Lib Dem election gimmick.

They will all stand in some warm shopping centre collecting names while pensioners, the disabled and the disadvantaged will all be paying an average of £300 a year more to travel by bus, partly thanks to them.

What hypocrisy. If they get their wish, most of us will end up paying more tax.

A local tax means:

l Billions will be needed to be spent to set it up.

l Those paying nothing now because they are on low income may have to pay a local tax.

l All those in the household who have income, irrespective of their age, will be liable to pay the local tax. A poll tax in disguise.

l The average taxpayer will have to pay more tax because administration costs will rise, we will lose the benefit of economy of scale (bulk purchasing power) that the current system gives us and setting up costs for the proposed new tax are high.

I agree we need to change the way we collect local taxes but the local income tax path is not the one to follow.

ROBIN KING

Huband Close

Redditch