Yes this is 21st century Britain with the 4th largest economy in the world.

Yet with the meanest most devisery pensions and benefits system in Europe.

But we let it all happen, weve nobody to blame but ourselves, we British are the most apathetic and politically docile race in Europe.

Exactly, our politicians have used your years of N.I. contributions on other things.

Yet the means test initiated by Thatcher from the 80's, mimimicking the 30's means test, is costing 0ver 10 times more on income tax payers money than it would cost to restore the link with earnings.

Britain is a very wealthy nation, I cannot for the life of me understand why Gordon Brown has stepped into the Blairite
Thatcherite right wing mould.

Local Elections ?  Open for a Labour opportunity, Again?? -- A chance for UKIP ? -- BNP ?
 Any other 'Groupie' out there ?

If only We Knew The Answer To That One

We have Lib/Dems here in stockport they have been in for years and the rates are the highest in the north west,and went up the most this year............no thanks !!!

And none of the other governments have changed it have they,in fact the LIb Dem have increased it here !
Thatcher was for the parliamentarians not the people,not even her people,but her people faired better with the banding !
They have had 14 years to change it and have they no !
and now with the loss of the 10p tax and the increase in rates the people have said enough is enough ! what next.........let the UKIP have a chance !
I await the general election with anticipation and hope they get tonked again well and truely to the UKIP !

What rubbish you talk.  The Poll Tax was an unjust tax like the council tax because it was not based on ability to pay.

Also the Poll Tax was introduced by Margaret Thatcher to rep;lace increases in direct taxation ( national income tax ) from which to fund our local communities UK wide.

The Poll Tax was introduced to begin the devolution of local Communities from central Government funding, because since the 1980's, the local tax under three names poll tax, communti charge, and now council tax, has increased by stealth over the years to fund local communities, but national income tax has been increased to fund the same.

When Margaret Thatcher was in power she wanted to remove the "role of the state" from local communites, hence income tax payers money being cut from the outset in 1980, and Poll Tax/Community Charge, Council tax being introduced.

And it is this "shift" in tax policy that is helping to widen our rich and poor devide.