Tories fight British ‘bed tax’
The Conservatives have launched a campaign to prevent the introduction of a ‘bed tax’ on accommodation in England.
The tax is being considered as part of a review into local government finance in England. In an interim report last December Sir Michael Lyons, a former Labour councillor heading the review, suggested that a hotel tax might be introduced.
Shadow ministers Hugo Swire and Eric Pickles visited Brighton and Bournemouth to unveil their “Save the Great British Holiday” campaign, in protest against proposals which would slap a levy on 16,000 hotels and bed and breakfast premises across England.
The Conservatives claim that based on similar taxes in other countries, the levy could potentially add £100 a week to the cost of a domestic family holiday, with less well-off families being hardest hit.
Swire, the shadow culture secretary, said: “The brilliant summer weather has shown what a great place Britain is to spend a short break or a holiday. But the great British holiday is under threat from a ‘bed and breakfast stealth tax’ – Gordon Brown’s latest money-making ploy.
“There’s nothing wrong with choosing to travel abroad, but non-one will benefit from making British holidays a rip-off.”
A number of domestic travel organisations are already lobbying against the bed tax idea which could emerge when the Lyons report is produced by the end of the year.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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