Protester says no to 'unfair' council tax
Published on 19th April 2007 in News
Protesting: Walter Staniforth says he will not fund the councillors’ pension fund.
A pensioner from Swinefleet was out in Goole yesterday to protest against what he says amounts to paying for the East Riding of Yorkshire councillors' pension funds.
Walter Staniforth, of Sweyne Garth, stood outside the ERYC offices at the corner of Stanhope Street and Church Street and handed out leaflets campaigning for council tax reform.
He claims that 28p in every £1 of his council tax funds the East Riding councillors' retirement and, last year, refused to pay that amount of his council tax bill.
He also says he will refuse to pay it again this year.
"I've worked all my life," he said. "Why should I have to fund their retirement?"
Mr Staniforth is a member of the 'isitfair' group and was taking part in a national Brown Envelope Day organised in conjunction with the Tax Payers' Alliance which saw members handing out brown envelopes and flyers.
The flyers urge people to put a photocopy of their 2007/2008 council tax bill in an envelope, preferably a brown one, and post it with a letter of protest to: Brown Envelope Day Campaign, 1 Warwick Row, London, SW1E 5ER.
The ERYC were unavailable to comment as we went to press.