Simon Lambert

But even disregarding that income level or whatever.

is it fair that you're levying it at the same point in London and the Southeast as you are in the Northeast?

I would argue not because you can get a lot more for your money.

You can be a much richer person and live in a much cheaper house in the Northeast or other parts of the country than you would do in London, the Southeast.

And then it goes into this whole like idea that we should be charging council tax as a percentage of a home's value and

That just doesn't really reflect people's ability to pay the tax.

And in fact, for some people, it actually is much worse than others who might live next door to each other.

So, for example, let's take the scenario of suburbia.

right?

Expensive southeast suburbia where you've got two people living next to each other.

One is a couple with two kids of school age who've just moved in and they have had to take out a mega mortgage and stretch themselves as far as they possibly can.

Both of them are working full time just to afford this four bedroom detached house.

house which is on the expensive end you know but it's not a mansion it's on the expensive end they've stretched as far as they possibly can but that house might be worth a million pounds right next door to them you've got the retired couple their kids have grown up they've flown the nest they've lived there for ages they bought the same house for 150 000 pounds

They've got nice, you know, chunky pensions.

And in fact, they managed to buy the house without both of them having to work full time at all.

And so on.

It's like, yet we're saying that those two people, in theory, according to some who argue that you should pay a percentage of the home's value.

should pay exactly the same amount in council tax.

It doesn't necessarily reflect their ability to pay it, does it?

I mean, actually, arguably, you should be taking the mortgage off before you decide it.