Lib Dem Ministers already acting on Conference's unanimous support of LVT Motion
The Liberal Democrats' South Central Region Conference on 30th October at Oxford Brookes University voted unanimously to support a Motion proposed by ALTER Hon Sec Dr David Cooper, which called for Land-value Taxation to be more strongly pushed by Lib Dems in Government, as a solution to the housing crisis. Not one person spoke against the motion.
ALTER Chair Dr Tony Vickers has recently sent a paper to ALTER's President Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP - now Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change - to help him achieve the aims of this Motion, which is to persuade Conservative colleagues that LVT is the best way to boost Britain's economic recovery along a sustainable and just path. The paper emphasises the 'constructive' effects of measures used already elsewhere to capture land value as public revenue.
One Conservative politician appears to have already got the message. A letter published in the Independent newspaper on 12th November, calling for LVT in preference to "Mugabe style" land grabbing, has been traced to a Tory councillor in Hart District (part of South Central Region).
Two other Lib Dem members of the Cabinet - both ALTER Vice Presidents - lend their names to a Government White Paper published days before the Oxford Conference in October, which include three 'constructive' measures to allow councils to raise revenue from land values. Deputy Prime Minister (and Lib Dem Leader) Nick Clegg wrote the Foreword to "Local Growth", published by Dr Vince Cable's Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS). In the paper, legislation is promised to allow for: Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to finance public infrastructure projects; a New Homes Bonus (match funding from Whitehall for Council Tax on new homes); and a Business Increase Bonus (the same for growth achieved in local business rates through regeneration).
Related Links
- Housing and Land Motion
- Paper sent to Lib Dem Minister
- Letter from Tory councillor calling for LVT
- BIS White Paper "Local Growth"