Council tax rebel stands in local byelection

A 71-year-old council tax rebel is bidding for a seat on her local authority today - just a day after being made the subject of a court order for refusing to pay her council tax.

Retired social worker Sylvia Hardy, a member of the Devon Pensioners Action Forum, is standing as an independent candidate in a byelection for a city ward seat on Devon county council. She has put the issue at the centre of her campaign.

In court yesterday, Ms Hardy told magistrates she was withholding an element of her council tax. She said her pension had only risen by 1.7% since she stopped work, while council tax in the county had risen by 18% this year.

She threatened to defy the law and go to prison rather than repay the council tax arrears on her two-bedroomed flat in Exeter.

"I had to make a choice about whether I was going to have a life, not an existence, or pay the full amount of council tax - I made that decision," she added.

After accepting she was liable for arrears of ?91.28 of the ?644 charge on her home, the court made a liability order on behalf of Exeter city council, the collection authority for Devon, for the outstanding amount plus ?25 costs.

Ms Hardy, who maintains the campaign against the charge is not party-political, said she wanted the council tax to be levied on ability to pay rather than on property value.

But with the pensioners' revolt gaining further momentum amid rising concern about the prospect of average rises in England of around 7% for 2004-5 - although some double-digit increases are likely - local government leaders believe around six councils are now being lined up for budget capping by John Prescott.

The deputy prime minister is likely to make an announcement next month giving councils which have been targeted 21 days to appeal. Top of the list appears to be Medway council, an all-purpose unitary authority, which had been planning a 15.7% increase - although its Band D council tax of ?896 would still be the lowest in Kent.

At Exeter yesterday, there were more signs of a growing revolt. Also in court was Bob Price, a retired insurance company area manager, against whom magistrates made another liability order for an outstanding ?240.57, plus ?25 costs, on the ?1,840 annual charge on his home.

Mr Price, aged 58 - and also a member of Devon Pensioners Action Forum - told the court that neither he, nor his wife Janice, were pleading poverty as a reason for non-payment.

"We feel, however, we are talking for ordinary people of all ages who are being hit by this unfair tax, which shows little concern for its increasing cost," he added.

He said he had paid the same amount demanded by the council for the year 2002-3, with a "generous" addition for inflation of 3%. But in eight years, he said, his private pension had risen 8% while the council tax had gone up by over 100%.

"It is easy to see if this state of affairs continues then we and many others like us will soon be in an impossible position," Mr Price added.

The two, were in court six days after the much-publicised case of Elizabeth Winkfield, who told magistrates in Barnstaple she would go to prison rather than pay an outstanding ?98.80 on her bungalow at Westward Ho!, north Devon.

The Devon Pensioners Action Forum claims that around 500 people in the county are withholding an element of this year's council tax, in protest at inflation-busting rises.