Political opinion: Andrew Griffith MP warns Chancellor not to come for West Sussex homeowners

placeholder image — Analysis based on gov.uk figures.

Andrew Griffith, Member of Parliament for Arundel & South Downs has warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves not to target the homes of West Sussex residents in her Budget next Wednesday.

With the ‘Treasury sources’ refusing to rule out a so-called mansion tax or extra surcharge on higher value homes, the MP fears that the residents he represents in Chichester, Horsham and Arun are in the firing line.

New analysis released by the MP shows that more than 40,760 local households are at risk of swinging increases in Council Tax if the Chancellor were to add a surcharge on the top three council tax bands across the three districts to the west of West Sussex.

13,820 homes in Chichester District
17,480 homes in Horsham District and
9,460 homes in Arun District.

Andrew Griffith, Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs

Since the tax would be based on property values, in the Arundel & South Downs constituency, around one in three households would be victims of extra tax whilst in the Leeds West constituency of Rachel Reeves MP, fewer than two in a hundred would have to pay more.

It is believed that the proceeds of any new tax or surcharge would be given to Treasury to spend elsewhere in the country whilst one of the first actions of the incoming labour government in 2024 was to cancel the long awaited A27 Arundel upgrade programme.

Residents can check for themselves on their Council Tax bill whether they are in Band F, Band G or Band H which are believed to be those the Chancellor will hit.

Andrew Griffith MP said: “I am gravely worried about the Chancellor imposing more taxes on the value of residents’ property and I am warning her not to do this.

Hitting often elderly people in homes that they have worked all their life to pay for would be morally reprehensible. Even more so when this is a biased and divisive tax paid in the south but spent in the north.

Residents already pay huge amounts and receive little back in return. This government even cancelled the long awaited A27 upgrade which was one of the few national programmes from West Sussex was due to benefit.”