No one should be trapped in poverty. That’s a principle that is core to our identity as Liberal Democrats. Another is trust—trusting people to manage their own lives, with the government stepping in only when necessary to help. That’s why we champion universal credit for those who need support and an NHS free at the point of use.

These principles drove us in government: when we raised the personal tax threshold, taking millions out of paying income tax and enabling people to keep more of what they earned. We also did it when we introduced targeted help like the Pupil Premium to give disadvantaged children a fair start.

They guide us in local government too, where Liberal Democrat councils run some of the most progressive council tax reduction schemes in the country—Watford, Three Rivers, and Richmond among them.

As a Watford Councillor, I’m proud that our Council Tax Reduction Scheme is one of the most generous in the UK. Many low-income households pay no council tax at all. That’s real breathing space for people who need it most—space to plan, to save, and to take the steps that lead to opportunity.

Contrast that with Reform-led Durham County Council. This week, they announced cuts to their Council Tax Reduction Scheme, effectively hiking taxes on the poorest in some of the most deprived areas. Why? Because their headline promise to slash local government costs and set up their much-hyped DOGE unit has failed. Now they’re balancing the books on the backs of those who can least afford it.

Politics is about choices. Liberal Democrat councils choose to protect those with the least—not because it’s easy, but because it’s right. Taxing people to the hilt when they’re struggling doesn’t create opportunity; it kills it. Financial security is what allows ambition and risk-taking—the engines of social mobility. If you take that away, you trap people in a cycle of survival, not progress.

Reform’s choice sends the opposite message: protecting privilege matters more than helping people get on in life. That’s not just bad policy—it’s a terrible way to run local government. When you raise council tax on those who need a break the most, you’re saying social mobility is optional. We say it’s essential.

In Watford and other Liberal Democrat-run councils, we consistently choose a fairer path for those who need local government to be on their side.

We make the conscious choice to give people the breathing room to succeed because that’s how you build stronger communities and a stronger economy that works for everyone. It’s basic common sense—and it’s the right thing to do.

* Callum Robertson is a teacher and member of the Federal Board. He is a Watford Borough Councillor.