FOLLOWING Tony Blair's third general election victory, local IsitFair protesters are calling on the government to "start listening".

Christine Melsom, founder of the IsItFair council tax protest group, has written to the Prime Minister, reminding him of his post election speech in which he indicated a new willingness to listen to the electorate. IsitFair's particular concern is over the government's determination to reform the existing council tax system.

"We trust that your approach of listening to the people and responding wisely and sensibly will apply to the issue of council tax," Mrs Melsom wrote. "The government must now start listening to the millions of people who have been demanding a fairer deal on council tax."

She added: "So far you have turned a deaf ear to any suggestion that council tax should be scrapped and replaced by a system that takes account of people's ability to pay. We hope you will now listen to the demands for a fairer system for everyone. You must ensure that people with fixed or modest incomes cease to have to pay a disproportionate percentage of their income in council tax."

The government set up the Lyons Inquiry into the reform of local government finance, which is due to make its recommendations later this year.

Commenting on this, Mrs Melsom said: "This is the second review in two years. The main outcome of the first review was to recommend the setting up of the second review. We expect something more constructive from the Lyons Inquiry.

"We call upon the Lyons Inquiry to deliver a fairer system without recourse to selective discounts and yet more means-tested benefits. There is already a massive bureaucracy to handle the administration of council tax and benefits in each of 350 different billing authorities across England. Any changes to the system should ensure that this administrative overhead is reduced."

On the subject of the revaluation of properties in England, Mrs Melsom said: "The revaluation of properties in England has commenced, and these revised values will be the basis of council tax bills from 2007.

"All households have already endured massive increases in the tax since 1997 and the government must accept that for many people the level of council tax now exceeds the limits of reasonableness. They must take steps to ensure that the increases of the past eight years are not compounded by any changes that take place as a consequence of property revaluation and rebanding."

By way of conclusion, Christine Melsom told Tony Blair to heed the warning: "Start listening to people of all age groups who are demanding a fairer system of taxation to fund local services! Make the system fairer for everyone. Council tax isn't only a problem for pensioners - it is a disproportionate tax on anyone with a fixed or modest income.

"Start listening to people who now pay far more in council tax than they pay in income tax. Stop using council tax as a stealth tax.

"Start listening to people who are now paying 20 per cent or more of their fixed or modest incomes in council tax. People have already suffered relentless hikes in the tax since 1997 totalling, on average, over 75 per cent.

"Start listening to people who have been telling you for the past eight years that the increase in the value of their property has not generated any additional income with which to pay their council tax bill.

"Council tax is paid out of people's net income. Their income does not go up just because the value of their property has increased. Are they supposed to remortgage their properties just so that they can pay their council tax?"

Her message could not have been more clear: "Council tax is a regressive tax - the less income you have, the higher the percentage of your income you have to pay in council tax.

"You must ensure that your reforms result in a fairer system for everyone. Do not deliver a 'reformed' system with selective discounts and yet more means testing. Stop driving more and more people into the council tax benefits system.

You promised eight years ago that you would reduce means testing. We're still waiting."