NEWS that the government has postponed plans to revalue English homes for council tax has sent a ripple of excitement through the growing ranks of anti-council tax campaigners. Founder of the Isitfair group, local resident Christine Melsom, views the climbdown as a well-earned, if temporary victory. "So they (the government) are listening. They fear a voters' backlash," said Mrs Melsom, who qualified her jubilation with more than a degree of scepticism: "The crumbs are being thrown out to allay the hunger for reform." In qualifying what he admitted was a U-turn, local government minister David Miliband said this week that it would mean the issue could be considered as part of an inquiry into local authority funding. As she prepares to visit a fellow campaigner in jail, Christine Melsom believes it has more to do with people power and the London elections in May. "The government cannot afford to ignore the fact that council tax issues will be ahead of the field in any election," she said. The proposed revaluation of around 22 million properties in England was expected to result in higher bills for many households. Previously scheduled for 2007/08, the decision to shelve the exercise will, said Mr Miliband, allow Sir Michael Lyons to look at revaluation as part of a wider inquiry into local government funding. The fear is that revaluation will have the same impact in England as it had in Wales where the exercise saw a third of all households moving up at least one valuation band and only eight per cent moving down. It has been 14 years since the last valuation in England and property prices have risen sharply since, particularly in London and the South East. At present, council tax is calculated on the basis of eight bands, with top-rated band 'H' property owners paying around twice as much as people in band 'D'. All 22 million homes in England were due to be rebanded based on their value on April 1 this year. Isitfair campaigners want to see council tax scrapped and replaced with a fairer system based on people's ability to pay. They had welcomed the commissioning of an independent report into local government funding but were disappointed by the appointment of Sir Michael Lyons. "Independent my eye, he has worked within 'government guidelines' and is also the ex- leader of Birmingham City Council," pointed out Mrs Melsom. She believes that rather than giving Michael Lyons more time to do the job, the court hearings into non-payment of council tax by pensioners, determined to fight for what they believe is right, has got the government running scared. "Alfred Ridley's case last week and Sylvia Hardy on Monday has scared the pants off this government. They did not think it would happen and certainly did not expect us to receive so much support from the national press. The country is up in arms and everywhere you go it is easy to find someone prepared to discuss the vagaries of the council tax system. We saw what was happening (with the revaluation process) in Wales and we didn't like it. We saw the expected rises next year and we didn't like them," said Mrs Melsom. "This government are past-masters at spin, remember that. Lyons will not report until after the Christmas recess when we will all be filled with the Christmas spirit (if we can afford it). Discussion will not begin until after ministers return in January and they will probably set up another review to take them past the dispatching of council tax bills at the end of March and the London elections in May. Rebanding and revaluation are not programmed until 2007/08. If they think we will go away during that time, forget it." Christine Melsom is is preparing to visit Revd Alfred Ridley next Thursday at the category A prison in Milton Keynes were he is serving a 28 day sentence for non-payment of just part of his council tax. "I have never been inside any jail, let alone a category A," said Mrs Melsom, who added that Rev Ridley has received so many letters of support the prison cannot deal with them and his mail has been stopped. Mrs Melsom is also waiting to hear the court verdict on Exeter pensioner, Sylvia Hardy - another campaigner facing imprisonment for non-payment of what she deems an unreasonable increase in council tax.
