CUMBRIAN peers have sustained pressure on the Government to fix a 'grossly unfair' council tax system that sees some London mansions charged less than the average home in the county.

Former Cumbrian MP Dale Campbell-Savours is leading a campaign to reform council tax and instigated a debate in the House of Lords of the Issue.

Lord Campbell-Savours previously described the council tax system as unfair, saying: "It’s unfair, it penalises part of the North and favours London, and it’s now in urgent need of reform.”

Speaking in the Lords debate on council tax, he said: "How can a band C house in Cumbria, with council taxes of over £1,600 per year, pay more than a £54 million band H luxury house in London’s Mayfair? Surely such discrepancies in the treatment of houses in the north serve only to further reveal how utterly absurd the whole council tax system has become. Is not the concept of a red wall defending the north no more than a myth, confirmed by the refusal by the Government to reform council tax and its huge inconsistencies?"

Lord Clark of Windermere also spoke on the issue.

He said: "My Lords, throughout Cumbria, whether in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal or the many households in the villages in between, householders feel aggrieved that because of the national framework they are forced to pay more council tax than luxury houses in London.

"Even the Government must accept that it is grossly unfair.

"When do they intend to take one small step towards alleviating the problem and help levelling up in Britain?"

Government whip Viscount Younger of Leckie said in response: "Council tax is well understood by ratepayers.

"The Government have no plans for council tax reform, which would be complex and time-consuming to undertake and would create confusion for ratepayers."