|
More Stealth taxes in Eddisbury
Stephen O’Brien MP warns the Governement are planning to impose more stealth taxes on families in Eddisbury and Cheshire
New laws before Parliament will allow the imposition of congestion taxes, road pricing and workplace parking taxes on people living in Eddisbury and Cheshire, Stephen O’Brien MP warned this week. The Eddisbury MP, who supported the NO campaign against the introduction of congestion charging for Manchester criticised the Government for failing to listen to the massive majority of people who voted against the plans. Stephen O’Brien also raised his concerns about the impact on the local economy and the thousands of people living in the Eddisbury constituency who commute for work in Manchester.
The small print of new legislation gives sweeping powers to new unelected bodies to control transport policy – including the power to levy new taxes. Unelected regional government – which was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in the North East - will also be strengthened contrary to public opinion, giving them sweeping powers over housing and planning.
Stephen O’Brien said: “Labour’s new laws are the antithesis of local democracy. The Government’s plans for regional Government, congestion charging and more powers for unelected bureaucrats have been consistently rejected by voters at every opportunity. Yet more unelected quangos are taking power away from local people and their elected representatives who are accountable to their constituents through the ballot box.
“It is clear that Minsters intend to use these new ‘combined authorities’ as a Trojan Horse to force through congestion taxes, road pricing and workplace parking taxes on hardworking people in Eddisbury and Cheshire, by the back door, and sidelining our local councils.
“Gordon Brown seems to care little about the fact that Regional Government was rejected in the North East and more recently, congestion charging in Manchester was rejected – what is the point of having a referendum if you are not willing to accept the result.
“Rather than giving even more powers to unelected regional quangos, the Government should hand power back to local communities and councillors, starting off by abolishing the unaccountable regional planning bodies.”
· Unelected economic and transport quangos: The Government’s so-called Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill gives Labour Ministers the power to create new ‘combined authorities’, made up or two or more local authority areas. This will mean that (name of local council – a county in a two-tier area) will lose control of power over economic development, regeneration and transport policy. The new bodies will not be directly elected, and the rules on their appointments will be drawn up by the Government.
· Quangos can impose new taxes via the back door: The small print – the obscure Schedule 6 of the Bill – allows the unelected combined authorities to impose ‘local charging schemes’, in the form of congestion taxes, road pricing and workplace parking taxes. Labour politicians could use these new unelected quangos to slip in the new taxes, and override public opposition.
More powers to unelected housing and planning quangos: The Bill also gives housing and planning powers to the unelected appointees of the (name of the Regional Development Agency). Through binding new regional plans, buildings and development can be imposed on local communities, and environmental protection like the Green Belt can be ripped up. Labour Ministers will also have power to revise the regional plans as they see fit.
22nd January 2009
   
| 
