MILLIONS of ordinary hard-working families will be "mugged" by inflation-busting council tax rises this spring.

Bills look set to increase by more than four times the inflation rate. This move, which will result in some of the biggest increases since the tax was introduced in 1993, means that many families will be hit with £1,000 a year charges for the first time.

Labour has been far less generous with its funding settlement than Ministers and council leaders claim, undermining increases in grant aid with new duties and responsibilities and extra tax bills.

This Labour Government has forced councils to ramp up council tax levies. This is the ultimate stealth tax -- engineered by a Government which has left local councillors taking the blame.

So, can we expect a better service for this inflation-busting rise? I don't think so! We should be using the £80,000 set aside for a postal vote, that nobody wants or needs, on street cleaning and other services people want to see improved. The use of this money would also negate the need for the four per cent increase on parking charges currently being proposed by the controlling group on this council, which most of us agree would be detrimental to the economic wellbeing of Bolton.

I appreciate we need to raise the numbers of people voting in elections, but this should be done by engaging with people and making them feel a part of local democracy and making them feel they can influence change, not just by "making it easier to vote".

Andy Morgan

(Councillor Hulton Park Ward)