Tories claim Kier Starmer will use satellites to force home owners with gardens to pay higher council tax under a new ‘Big Brother’ scheme if they are given the keys to Downing Street

Labor has been accused of plans to increase council tax on houses with larger gardens by using satellites to sniff out the size of their properties if the party is elected.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party has dismissed the claims as ‘fantasy’, but Housing Secretary Michael Gove is adamant that Labor will ‘hammer’ families if the party wins the General Assembly. Election.

Mr Gove recently accused Work of ‘using Big Brother tactics’ after it emerged that the Labour-led Welsh government was using satellites to spy on homeowners living in homes with large gardens or that have undergone renovations and extensions.

In addition to aerial and street photography, data from building applications, information on energy efficiency and statistics on school performance and crime The rates are also being assessed as part of a review of council tax bands set by the Senedd.

It means families living in larger, better insulated homes, in areas with good schools or lower crime, could face higher council taxes.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove is convinced Labor will ‘hammer’ families if the party wins the election and claims it plans to increase council tax on homes with larger gardens by using satellites to sniff out the size of their properties .

Mr Gove recently accused Labor of ‘using Big Brother tactics’ after it emerged that the Labour-led Welsh government was using satellites to spy on homeowners who live in properties with large gardens or have undergone renovations and extensions (file photo)

Although sir Keir Starmer has insisted that a Labor government will not increase taxes. He has also described the Welsh government as a “blueprint” for “what Labor can do across Britain”.

Mr Gove said he believes Labor is looking with interest at the Welsh initiative, which has been postponed until 2028, to ‘put to the test’ a similar system in England.

Raising homes by even one bond could seriously damage homeowners’ finances.

For example, if you threw a Band D house in England, which currently pays £2,171 a year in council tax, into the next Band E house, that would equate to almost £500 more a year.

He said: ‘Straight out of the same old Labor playbook, these Big Brother tactics will punish families with higher bills simply because they have good schools or lower crime.’

In May, it was reported in the Sunday Telegraph that the Valuation Office, an agency of HMRC, has been commissioned to build an ‘automated valuation model’ to update the value of Wales’ 1.5 million homes.

The Welsh Government says higher tax bands are needed to tackle ‘property wealth’ and ‘rebalance’ the current system.

Jim McMahon, Sir Keir’s shadow local government minister, has also previously spoken about the need to modernize council tax, describing the current valuation system as ‘unfair’.

But any attempt to change tax bands in England and Scotland, where valuations have not been updated for 33 years, would be hugely controversial as millions of homeowners would end up paying more.

While Sir Keir Starmer has insisted that a Labor government will not increase taxes, he has also described the Welsh government as a ‘blueprint’ for ‘what Labor can do across Britain’.

Speak with The Sunday Telegraph about the plans, State Secretary for Housing Michael Gove said: ‘A Labor government would tax family homes with higher council taxes, just as Labor has done in Wales.

‘Keir Starmer is far from candid with voters about the taxes he would raise to fill his £38.5 billion black hole, but given that the Labor government in Wales is his ‘blueprint’ for Britain, family homes across the country are clearly in focus.’

a labour party The spokesperson has dismissed the spokesperson’s “fantasy” claims Conservatives and said: ‘After fourteen years of making promises they couldn’t keep, this desperate Tory party is now being reduced every day to coming up with a new Labor plan that doesn’t exist, instead of answering the questions about the huge holes in their own plans. which will lead to a £4,800 increase in family mortgages.”

The Valuation Office Agency denied that ‘Big Brother’ tactics are being used.

A spokesperson said: ‘We have easy access to freely available information so new valuations are based on the most up-to-date information.

‘The valuation methods we use are internationally recognized as best practice.’

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: ‘We are listening to communities as we consider options for council tax reform in Wales.

‘We are acutely aware of the financial pressures people are facing as a result of the cost of living crisis and the UK government’s mismanagement of the economy, and this will be at the forefront of our considerations.’