Labour’s latest tax strategy is being likened to an Orwellian nightmare, with satellites poised to scrutinize the nation’s priciest properties.
Labour deploys satellites to (Image: PA)
Homeowners face an Orwellian invasion of privacy as Labour deploys satellites to “spy” on high-value properties targeted by its punitive council tax surcharge, The Telegraph has reported.
The controversial move has sparked outrage, with critics slamming it as a “sinister” and “vicious” attack on wealth.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA), a shadowy quango, will use aerial photography to help determine the value of the most expensive properties in England as part of the new council tax surcharge aimed at houses worth £2m or more.
The intrusive data will then be used to slap homeowners with yearly tax bills of up to a staggering £7,500 where a house’s value exceeds £5m.
Wales used as ‘test bed’ for tax hikes
It has emerged that the VOA previously used similar tactics in Wales, building an “automated valuation model” to verify the size of houses and gardens as part of the Senedd’s sweeping overhaul of council tax.
The Welsh plans, which would have increased taxes on the most expensive homes, were later delayed until 2028 amid concerns they would worsen the cost-of-living crisis.
James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, blasted the move, saying: “It’s clear Labour have been using Wales as a test bed to develop the Big Brother technology to hike council tax on people’s homes.”
Fears of widening tax net
Cleverly warned that Labour’s tax grab won’t stop at higher-end homes, cautioning: “You can guarantee that this surcharge will be widened, and families will wake up and find their home is now classed as a ‘mansion’.”
Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, pulled no punches, declaring: “So Labour plan to spy more on the British people.”
Dame Harriett Baldwin, a senior Conservative MP and shadow business minister, warned that Labour’s latest tax raid could run up against strict privacy laws.
“There would definitely be privacy issues around this”, which was “very concerning,” she said, adding: “This is just a dry run and a dress rehearsal for a complete revaluation of all the council tax bands.”
The VOA insisted that it would only use “freely available” aerial information (Image: Getty)
VOA denies spying allegations
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, slammed the move as a “vicious, envy-driven policy which will only exacerbate the exodus of wealthy people from the UK. The fact they will have to effectively spy on any sign of affluence only confirms this.”
A spokesman for the VOA insisted that it would only use “freely available” aerial information that was in the public domain to ascertain the value of properties for the mansion tax, including Google Maps alongside a range of open-source data. He denied that the VOA had spied on homeowners.
As the row over Labour’s tax spies intensifies, homeowners across the country are bracing for an unprecedented invasion of their privacy. With the final design of the tax yet to be determined, fears are growing that this is just the beginning of a wider assault on property wealth.
