At last night’s Hammersmith and Fulham Council meeting the Conservatives put forward the following motion:

SPECIAL MOTION NO. 1 – LABOUR’S MANSION TAX
Standing in the names of:
(i) Councillor Charlie Dewhirst
(ii) Councillor Robert Largan

“The Council notes the recent proposals announced by Ed Balls MP, Shadow Chancellor, for a “Mansion Tax” on homes valued over £2m. It also notes that over 50% of all individuals who would have to pay such a tax nationally are within just five London Boroughs including Hammersmith & Fulham.

“The Council recognises that due to significant increases in local property prices, large numbers of residents living in average family homes, including many on low incomes, will be hit by this tax, paying bills starting from £20,000 per year. It recognises that this policy, if implemented, could lead to many local people being forced to move out of the borough.

“This Council deplores this ideologically led warfare against property ownership and resolves to oppose these proposals.”

After an amendment the motion – changed to simply agreeing to “lobby against the Mansion Tax” was carried unanimously. In other words the Labour councillors voted against their own Party policy.

This leaves the Labour MP for Hammersmith Andrew Slaughter completed isolated in his hapless efforts to defend a policy that would target his constituents so unfairly. Mr Slaughter has voted in favour of the policy.  As a Shadow Justice Minister he is bound by collective responsibility. But if he wanted to put his constituents first he could resign.

Here are the Labour councillors agreeing to campaign against Labour’s Mansion Tax:

Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Hammersmith CllrCharlie Dewhirst said:

“I welcome the decision by local Labour councillors to join the Conservatives in opposing any new tax on the value of people’s homes. The local Labour MP should listen to residents and join our campaign against Ed Miliband’s appalling policy, which will force so many people out of their homes in Hammersmith.”

“If the Labour councillors are true to their word in opposing their Party’s manifesto commitments then they should not be campaigning for Ed Miliband in the lead up to the general election.”

Earlier the meeting sounded like a session of Alcoholics Anonymous as the Labour councillors declared their trade union membership

However they voted down a Conservative motion to stop Council  Taxpayers money paying for the salaries of union officials.