In response to George Osborne’s plans to given councils full control of business rates Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"Devolving business rates to local councils in England is great news for taxpayers and the Chancellor is to be congratulated on this bold and positive move. Civic leaders will spend the cash more responsibly if they have had to raise it themselves, which will surely deliver better value for local residents. More than that, the potential for getting the overall rates down is huge if neighbouring authorities are going to be able to compete to attract businesses to their patch. All the evidence shows that increased tax competition between jurisdictions will mean lower taxes - which will leave more money for businesses to spend on investing and growing."