The fallacy of the Lib Dems tax cuts

There are various Lib Dem leaflets and bold website pronouncements going around, for example: Liberal Democrats deliver £700 tax cut for working people. Referring to the raising of the income tax threshold. The inference is that the Lib Dems are a low tax party. That their support of the Conservative dream of a small state means they are saving you money. As we come to expect this is nothing but spin and bluster and taxes are in fact going up, when we consider regressive vat rises and council tax 'hikes'.

Elsewhere in the Cornishman I see that Marazion Town Council are doubling their precept to pay for public toilets. After Cornwall Council (ruled partly by Liberal Democrats) is not funding that facility any more.  Similarly Penzance Town Council is raising council tax, partly due to Cornwall Council passing cctv to the town without funding a pattern due to continue for all towns and parishes. Helston ratepayers are facing a 17% rise again to pay for services such as toilets, cctv and play groundd. dropped by Cornwall and passed to the town. This all due to the fact central government have cut the funding to Cornwall Council. When your council tax bill hits the door mat just remember that you're now paying more for the same or less services partly due to the Liberal Democrats.

Council tax rises at Cornwall Council (nearly 2%) and local councils is chicken feed in comparison to the VAT hike voted through by Lib Dems. Despite warnings from the this would hit the poorest hardest both Tory and Lib Dem lined up to push it through.

The raising of the tax threshold is welcome,  although pitiful in comparison to tax cuts for high speed earners and corporation tax cuts. It is clear that tax cuts benefit the richest most as per Conservative doctrine (supported as always by the Lib Dems). It is clear for working people that the government is robbing Peter to pay Paul, cutting one tax whilst raising others and cutting services which results in other authorities raising tax. Are people better off than they were before the Lib Dems took office? A question we should all ask ourselves when we go shopping and pay extra, buy petrol, pay our bills.