Lib Dems to look at ‘land value’ tax
By politics.co.uk staff
The Liberal Democrat conference will hear a motion for research into ‘land value’ tax when it meets in Liverpool later this month.
The party has been seeking ways to tax valuable properties for some time now, leading to the disastrous and short-lived mansion tax proposal at last year’s conference.
But senior officials in the party are convinced that taxing the rich should not take place merely on the basis of income, but should include moves against property speculation as well.
The plan could spark tension between the Lib Dems and their coalition allies, however.
The motion, to be voted on at the conference, says the party should “insist that Lib Dem ministers are given the freedom and resources to commission research to fully assess the viability and practicalities of increasing taxation on wealth – including land ¬values”.