Mohamed Miah | The Narratives
A fairer property tax could finally ease the burden on working-class families. But instead of welcoming change, the wealthy are crying foul, exposing the hypocrisy that’s defined the system for decades.
A system stacked against the poor
Council tax in Britain has long been a broken system. Still tied to 1991 property values, it punishes those in modest homes while letting the wealthy glide by. Someone in a £150,000 house can easily pay more in council tax than a millionaire in Chelsea does in percentage terms.
A property worth around £150,000, at moment pays £168 a month, £2,016 a year in my area. Under the proposed reforms, the rate would be about 0.44% of value, working out at £660 a year — just £55 a month. That’s a saving of more than £1,300.
For working-class families, that difference is transformative. It’s food, bills, and breathing room.
The tables finally turn
The real shift is at the other end. Under the new system, a £2m mansion would see its annual bill leap from around £3,500 to £10,300. For once, those who live in palaces would be expected to pay palace-level taxes.
And that’s where the outrage begins. Suddenly the wealthy are claiming hardship, insisting they “can’t afford” it — despite sitting on homes worth more than most people will ever earn in a lifetime.
Hypocrisy laid bare
For years, the working class were told:
“Stop buying coffees if you’re broke.”
“Cancel Netflix.”
“Don’t have kids you can’t afford.”
“Budget better.”
We were lectured on austerity, belt-tightening, and self-control, while services collapsed around us.
Now, when the shoe is on the other foot, the rich cry poor. They claim their pensions can’t stretch to £10,000 a year in tax. But if you can’t afford your mansion, the answer is the same one they gave us: downsize, or stop complaining.
A question of fairness
This reform isn’t about punishment. It’s about fairness. For too long, ordinary families have carried a disproportionate share of the burden while the wealthy enjoyed frozen tax bands and ballooning property values.
You cannot have a just society where the bin man pays more tax (proportionally) than the banker. This change is a small step towards levelling a system that has been stacked against working people for decades.
The last word
It’s funny, really. When it was the poor struggling, the message was always simple, budget better. Now the tables have turned, and the rich are the ones crying poor.
If you can’t afford your £2 million mansion, maybe it’s time to cancel your Waitrose subscription.
The Narratives - Mohamed Miah 
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