Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, led a well-attended Westminster Hall debate on the 29th November to demand substantive action for a fairer system of taxation and service provision for rural residents. Mr Loder, who has passionately campaigned for Council Tax reform, spoke of the need to improve the situation for rural councils and taxpayers.
The MP, who last tabled a debate 10 months ago on the topic, urged the newly-appointed Local Government Minister to ensure fairness for local residents. Mr Loder also called for fundamental of the mechanisms used to calculate taxation for rural constituencies.
Mr Loder said: “Rural residents are penalised by the local taxation system simply for where they live. Consequently, rural councils are forced to derive much of their funding from Council Tax: on average, rural people pay 20% more per head than those in urban areas. I’m campaigning to ensure that rural residents receive Council Tax fairness.”
