Bosses from 200 UK tourism firms have signed a letter to Rachel Reeves demanding she ditch the tourist tax. Reeves caved in to pressure to allow mayors and local authorities to impose taxes on overnight stays at the Winter Budget despite briefing she wouldn’t. Now bosses including from Butlin’s, Whitbread and Travelodge have warned that it will add more than £100 to the cost of a family holiday. They write:
“For many, this tax will make their holiday unaffordable, meaning families will shorten trips, forgo a break altogether or travel overseas. Fewer visitors mean lower spending at local businesses like restaurants, cafes, pubs, taxi firms and shops. In many places, it is tourist spending which keeps high streets alive.”
Meanwhile, Britain is on track for the worst growth in 100 years…
Speaking on the Labour chaos over the last few weeks, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told The Guardian:
“You call it a sh*tshow, I say it’s unforgivable…It does look to people outside that we’re more interested in ourselves and less interested in preventing chaos. […] We’ve not done enough, and this has got to be the moment of reckoning where we say not just what are we here for, but who are we here for?”