There Is A “Lack Of Courage” In Government On Council Tax Reform, Says Labour MP

The current council tax system is seen as out-dated and regressive (Alamy)

2 min read13 November 2025

The government’s refusal to overhaul the council tax system shows a “lack of courage”, according to a Labour MP who chairs a cross-party group on the issue.

Speaking on PoliticsHome podcast The Rundown, Jonathan Brash said the failure by successive administrations, both previous Conservative governments and his own Labour government, to reform the system “depresses me entirely”.

He said the current system, which is based on valuations of house prices in April 1991, is “absurd” and pointed out that a property in his Hartlepool constituency on the lowest Band A pays around £2,500 a year, “but if you're living in a Band A property in Westminster, it's closer to £1,000".

“The level of disparity is just ridiculous," he said.

PoliticsHome analysis published earlier this week found that some of the highest council tax rates in the country are paid by households in the most deprived areas.

A separate analysis found that a plan reportedly under consideration by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, to double council tax for the most expensive properties without first revaluing them, would result in extreme disparities in how similarly expensive homes are taxed.

“The reality is it would be politically difficult," said Brash, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on council tax reform, "but then, what the hell are we here for, if it's not to take politically difficult decisions?"

Labour MP Jonathan Brash chairs the APPG on council tax (Parliament.UK)

He added: “I'm absolutely clear, the lack of courage shown by successive governments, currently including this one, on this issue depresses me entirely, because there are people who are living in poverty who are essentially being taxed for being in deprivation.

“And if we're not here to fix that, then I don't know what we're here to fix."

“If we are going to continue the last 30 years of politics in this country, where we don't make bold decisions because the politics is a bit bad, then we are letting people down," Brash continued.

The Rundown is presented by Alain Tolhurst, and is produced by Nick Hilton and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot