Research into revaluing council tax bands suggests that the average Newbury home is likely to be pushed from Band D to Band F - equivalent to a 44 per cent hike.

The plans were brought in under the Local Government Act 2003, which local MP David Rendel voted for, but the Liberal Democrats now want to scrap the revaluation programme.

His Conservative rival Richard Benyon said: “Council Tax payments have nearly doubled through the mismanagement of West Berkshire’s Liberal Democrats, and now the local MP wants to compound the problem for hard working families by backing this latest stealth tax.”

“Only Conservatives provided effective opposition to these tax hikes,” Richard added, “the local Liberal Democrat MP and his party chums voted to support Labour’s new taxes. We will stop these plans for a rigged revaluation, and introduce additional measures to keep down council tax - including a £500 discount on council tax for pensioners over 65. We will stand up for the forgotten majority and stop Blair’s plans for third term tax rises.”

A pilot scheme in Cardiff found that two thirds of homes went up one or more tax bands.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Ed Davey said recently: “While we’ve been honest, and admitted the most well off will pay more under our plans, the Tories and Labour won’t admit that some of the poorest will be worse off under council tax revaluation.”