At the August meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council, elected members unanimously supported a motion from Councillor Patrick McGlinchey opposing the recently announced increase in VAT by the Westminster Government. Councillor McGlinchey said: ‘Our MP Gemma Doyle had started a campaign to oppose the Governments VAT increase from 17.5% to 20%. My motion to Council was to try to get cross party support for the campaign. I was absolutely delighted that the Council unanimously backed my motion.’ A copy of the motion and Gemma Doyles Petition are reproduced below:

Motion by Councillor Patrick McGlinchey – VAT

Council believes that the increase in VAT to 20%  will punish those who can least afford it, noting that VAT amounts to 10.8% of the income of the poorest 20% of the population but just 4.5% of the income of the richest 20%.

Council notes that during the election campaign David Cameron called the VAT a ‘regressive’ tax and acknowledged that it ‘hits the poorest hardest’.  He said he had ‘no plans’ to raise it. 

Council further notes that the Liberal Democrats also campaigned against any VAT rise and that both parties broke their promise to the electorate and changed their plans just weeks after forming the coalition. 

With this in mind, Council calls on the Government to reverse the decision to increase VAT to 20% and requests that the Leader of the Council write to the Government to express this opinion.