Just as that nice??Sir Menzies??tells you he wants to drop the Lib dems traditional high income tax policy, his Treasury Spokesman pops up and says he wants to tax anyone living in a flat or house worth more than ??1 million 1% a year of its value for continuing to live there. Simon Heffer has done us a service attacking this view in his column today.

It’s the latest Lib Dems Stealth tax with a Wealth tax rolled into one.

It would be on top of their local income tax, which would hit anyone who works hard and tries to take responsbility for their own family.

??1 million is not a lot of property anymore in London or in some of the better areas close to the capital. In?? the centre it buys you less than 1000 square feet of space - a two bedroom flat. People who own such properties may not be rich - they may have bought them 10 or 20 years ago when they were sensibly priced. Why shouldn’t they carry on living there? How can a pensioner in such a flat be expected to find ??10,000 a year extra tax just for the privilege of staying in his or her own home? Why do the Lib Dems want to drive them out?

I am against all wealth taxes and all higher income taxes. If we want to live in a prosperous Britain we need fewer taxes and flatter taxes.?? These proposals based on jealousy just show how little the Lib Dems -??like Peter Hain - have learned in the last couple of decades,??and how little they understand globalisation. London is a success because we allow rich foreigners to live here and spend there money here on a favourable tax arrangement. If we change the basis too much they will go elsewhere, and we will all be the poorer. UK citizens living here already pay too much tax - we do not want any more.

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