In a dramatic intervention that could define the battle lines over housing and taxation, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has launched a scathing attack on Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, warning that pensioners face being forced from their family homes under proposed council tax reforms.
The Council Tax Bombshell
Badenoch claims that Labour is secretly planning to double council tax on properties in the highest bands, a move that would disproportionately impact older homeowners who have lived in their properties for decades. The controversial proposal would see the most valuable homes in England facing massive tax hikes, with fears that fixed-income pensioners would struggle to meet the payments.
"This is a brutal assault on people who have worked hard all their lives," Badenoch declared during a fiery exchange at the Conservative Party conference. "Rachel Reeves wants to force pensioners out of homes they've lived in for generations through the back door of council tax."
Wealth Grab or Fair Reform?
The proposed changes would fundamentally alter the council tax system, which currently sees properties in Band H paying only three times more than those in the lowest Band A, despite often being worth ten times as much. Labour argues the system needs modernisation to reflect current property values and generate much-needed revenue for local services.
However, Conservatives are framing the potential reforms as a "stealth wealth tax" that would punish older homeowners for property price inflation they didn't create and can't benefit from without selling up.
The Pensioner Predicament
Analysis suggests thousands of pensioner households could be affected, particularly in London and the South East where property values have soared. Many older residents live in larger family homes that have become valuable over time but have limited income to cover substantial tax increases.
"We're talking about people who bought their homes decades ago when prices were reasonable," one housing expert noted. "They're asset-rich but cash-poor, and dramatic council tax hikes could make their homes unaffordable to keep."
Political Battle Lines Drawn
The controversy has ignited a fierce political debate about intergenerational fairness, wealth distribution, and how to fund local government adequately. With both parties positioning themselves ahead of the next general election, the council tax debate has become a key battleground.
As the argument intensifies, millions of homeowners await clarity on what could become one of the most significant changes to property taxation in a generation.
