I READ Simon Donovan's letter on behalf of the Waltham Forest Socialist Party. Apparently, if large corporations are charged higher taxes, then our council tax would go down and the workers would not have to pay as much to the town hall.

If only life were so simple.

I agree that our council tax is too high and that it needs to be reduced to ease the burden on taxpayers. However, fleecing businesses will force them to move to a lower tax area (such as Ireland) and so cost the workers their jobs.

Then who would pay the tax? Not the companies, they will have gone. Not the workers, they will be unemployed.

Did Mr Donovan learn nothing from the 1970s? High tax kills business, costs jobs and fattens up inefficient public agencies.

The way to bring all tax down to more sensible and affordable levels is to reduce what government, local or national, does for its people. Essential services should be safeguarded, especially those services for the vulnerable in our communities, and waste should be shown zero tolerance.

CLLR GEOFF WALKER,

Leader of Conservative Group,

London Borough of

Waltham Forest