It comes as no surprise to see that the direct rule paperpushers are seeking to implement a truly outrageous 20% hike in local housing rates.
This of course comes on the back of a previous 12% hike, and the fact that water charges were removed from the rates to be made their own separate charge, the injustice of which I have previously mentioned in recent times.
By my basic maths, if someone was paying around £500 in rates for their average Belfast house (see image) two years ago, then they're looking at a combined rates and water charges bill of somewhere in the region of £790 this year, a whopping increase of over 50% in only two years for a service no better than it was before.
Oh, and of course that would increase to £1,026 by 2009 (a doubling of costs in only four years), and probably by a minimum of 30% or more again in 2010 when houses are again revalued for purposes of assessing these charges.
These increases are not aimed at providing better services to NI householders. The water charge wheeze in fact will almost definitely result in worse service, according to research into previous examples of water provision privatisation in other locales.
No, these charges are simply aimed at reducing Northern Ireland's resource drain on the British taxpayer. In short, London is tiring of us and intends to tax us out of the United Kingdom if necessary.
However, devolved authority in the Assembly would have the power to overturn these appalling attempts to extort money out of people who simply cannot afford it, especially those who are asset-rich and cash-poor as a result of their family homes rocketing in value in recent times.
It is now essential that all the Northern Irish parties come out and categorically state what they think of these arbitrary and scandalous hikes in charges, and what they'll do about them if elected.
5 comments:
That's a fucking ridiculous scenario, and if the crowd in London get away with it, it would be scandalous.
Can the Assembly really do anything about it though?
Yes. They can overturn them if they wish. Then, they could choose to balance the budget in other ways, or they could go back to London and say "Oi, you chancing New Labour scumbags, we want back the money for public services that you nicked and spent on security when it should have been ring-fenced. Or else we're going to collapse the peace process and the combined reformed IRA/UDA will be conducting a highly specific bombing campaign aimed at Peter Hain."
Only problem is, I reckon Blair would run with that option, and Brown definitely would.
Scumbags.
At least we'll have the chance to turf our shower out in May. When's the next UK General election, or does it affect Northern Ireland?
Excuse my ignorance of Northern politics.
No, it's March's assembly elections that could feasibly lead to many powers being transferred back to the local representatives of the population of the North.
What they then do with it, including throwing all the toys out of the pram and refusing it, is possible after that.
London is hiking the rates, introducing water charges etc so that people will get so pissed off with direct rule that they'll want a local executive under any circumstances whatsoever, so that such changes can be reversed.
Or am I too cynical having worked for the fuckers too long?
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