Lib Dem policies are as barmy as their campaign

Ed Davey has finally taken a break from fooling around to launch some policies. But one of them, in particular, is not going to please a great number of Lib Dem voters. The Lib Dem manifesto is to propose giving local councils the power to put a 500 per cent council tax surcharge on second homes. Obviously, there is minimal danger of the Lib Dems actually getting into power to impose such a policy, so those nice Lib Dem voters in Richmond and Kingston who have boltholes in Salcombe, Southwold, and so on can still afford the luxury of voting for the party without actually having to face the cost of its policies.

But they might just think twice about the Lib Dems’ reason for its new policy: ‘This is about giving councils the power to ask second homeowners to pay a fair contribution towards vital public services which are currently at risk.’