Supporters of reform, including the Fairer Share Campaign, claim a flat-rate annual charge could save households in areas such as Hartlepool around £950 a year.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Image: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire)
With Andy Burnham reportedly minded to back radical reform of the property tax system, Express.co.uk is today asking readers whether a bombshell 0.48 % annual levy on the current value of every home would crash the UK economy.
The online poll readers follow the Greater Manchester mayor’s latest comments on the “unfairness” of council tax and Number 10’s swift denial that the Government is preparing to scrap both council tax and stamp duty in favour of a flat annual charge.
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Speaking on the BBC’s Panorama programme, Mr Burnham told Laura Kuenssberg that “big decisions” lie ahead. He said: “There are people here in Greater Manchester who pay a much higher council tax than people living in much larger homes in London.”
He praised former Chancellor Rachel Reeves for starting to address the failure to revalue bands, arguing it was “right and fair” that higher-value homes should contribute more.
Yet he insisted any changes must remain consistent with the manifesto on which Labour was elected in 2024. “We need to honour the manifesto upon which Labour was elected… So there are big decisions ahead, you are right about that.”
On Sunday night Number 10 flatly rejected reports in the i Paper that ministers were actively considering a 0.48 % annual property tax or a land value tax to replace the existing system.
Supporters of reform, including the Fairer Share Campaign, claim a flat-rate annual charge could save households in areas such as Hartlepool around £950 a year. Stamp duty currently kicks in on purchases from £125,000, with first-time buyer relief available up to £300,000.
Labour backbenchers have stepped up pressure for change. Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash, who chairs the cross-party group of MPs on council tax reform, has called for “wholesale reform.” He has previously pointed out that Band A homes in his constituency pay nearly 2.5 times more than equivalent properties in Westminster.
Mr Brash said: “Council tax is one of the most unfair taxes in Britain, and nowhere is that injustice clearer than in towns like Hartlepool.”
Critics warn that a blanket 0.48 % annual tax on current property values would hit homeowners hard, risk a sharp fall in house prices and threaten wider economic damage just as the country seeks stronger growth.