Petition Stop Cutting Council Grants & Empower Local Communities

Local councils had and face further massive cuts to their government grants. The cuts are far higher than the average cuts the government have and intend to inflict across other parts of government. The government has bribed councillors with a one-off grant to accept a freeze on council tax which only lasts for one year, so that successive years face a deflationary loss as well. Local people should have the power to decide after local consultations what is best to do for their local communities.

We call on the government to stop the further cuts to the grants and ensure they rise in line with inflation after 2012-13. Before 2015, we call on the government to ensure that fiscal autonomy is given to local councils so they have the ability to create, extinguish, raise or reduce taxes as local communities see fit. E.g., scrap Council Tax, reduce National Non-Domestic Rates (Business Rates), and create a Land Value Tax based on ability to pay.