To get our message across ALTER has run a stand for the second South Central Conference in a row. Tony Vickers and David Cooper manned the stand, and there was considerable interest from some delegates. As a result a number of new ALTER members were recruited.
Paper by Jock Coats of ALTER was launched at a fringe meeting in Brighton (at the Lib Dem Conference) with Molly Scott Cato MEP (Green Party), Catherine Bearder MEP and Heather Wetzel (Labour Land Campaign)
ALTER Vice Chair Dr Tony Vickers has published a position paper which shows how the housing crisis should be solved through tax reforms, beginning with LVT. At present home owners cream off unearned income from the economic activities of others, a harmful effect which reduces GDP by 20%. He shows that any strategy which reforms only business rates will lead to market distortions, and advocates a Homestead Allowance and combining property and income taxes. The full report can be found at The Real Hope for Home-ownership.
London faces an acute shortage of developable areas. A new report 'Tax Trial: Land Value Tax for London?' was released today by London Assembly Member, Tom Copley which estimates that a new Land Value Tax (LVT) could provide the incentive to build over 200,000 new homes in the capital.
