Aspiring actors are, by tradition, advised by their mentors never to work with children or animals. Budding politicians, on the other hand, should be advised at all costs to avoid pensioners. They make lousy photo opportunities and they have a tendency to fuss over irritatingly small amounts of money. On the other hand, it doesn’t look good when old folk get sent to jail as a result of government policy. This is exactly the embarrassment now facing Tony Blair’s administration. Up and down the land, leathery ladies in silly hats are vowing that they would sooner do time in Holloway than fork out for another hefty rise in council tax.
The government has been lucky to get this far without provoking a popular revolt against council tax. According to a survey of proposed council budgets conducted by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, council taxpayers face an increase in bills this year of 5.7
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