LIB DEMS WILL WAIVE THE BACKDATED PORT RATES

According to the Grimsby Telegraph there is increased opposition against the Government's continued stance on the collection of backdated port rates, with the Liberal Democrats now stating they too would scrap them.

Labour is now isolated on the issue, with dissent from local MPs too. And should a hung parliament be the outcome of the election, widely tipped to take place on May 6, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable has been highlighted as a potential Chancellor of the Exchequer, overseeing the Treasury which holds the key to the ruinous situation.

Councillor Andrew De Freitas, Leader of the Liberal Democrat-led North East Lincolnshire Council, and prospective parliamentary candidate for Great Grimsby for the party, said: "This is a significant development. The party is saying there should be a moratorium, and that backdated rates should not be collected. This really isolates the Labour Party and puts more pressure on them.

"In the past I have been in touch with Vince Cable, speaking to him about the issue last year, and also the Cabinet. When they visited Leeds I spoke to Alistair Darling and Geoff Hoon. I honestly thought at the time they would give this serious consideration. I don't think they see the importance of it.

"As a local authority leader I am just hoping at the 11th hour the Government will ease off and say 'let's have another look at it'. The law is the law and if we are told we have to make steps to collect we will have to do that. I have to be careful, and we are bending over backwards to assist the businesses affected by this."

A policy brief from Liberal Democrat central office said: "We will scrap backdated business rates charged to port-based companies so that they are not unfairly penalised by the Government's mistakes. This will save valuable jobs and businesses in the UK's ports.

"We will waive backdated business rate bills to port occupiers relating to periods before April 2008. This is on the basis that backdated rates bills began to be issued from September 2008 and therefore it is fair to expect port occupiers to settle business rates for the 2008-09 year and subsequent years, but it is not reasonable to backdate bills before this date when port occupiers could not reasonably have anticipated the massive increases in rates bills."