Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East
Thurrock, has warned that Labour may be planning to hammer hotels and B&Bs
in the local area with a new overnight accommodation tax.
This ‘holiday tax’ would force up the cost of living for
hard-working people and threaten jobs across Britain’s tourist industry.
Labour Shadow Minister, Sadiq Khan, called for the
‘introduction of a levy on overnight accommodation’ earlier this month. A
similar policy was proposed by the previous Labour Government but was binned
after a Conservative campaign.
Hotels and other accommodation are already subject to
VAT, corporation tax, business rates and National Insurance. Research estimates
that up to 43,000 hotels, hostels and holiday lets across England currently
paying £660 million a year in business rates could be affected by the new
overnight accommodation levy.
The new hotel levy would not only harm the
competitiveness of the UK tourist industry in a global economy but would have a
significant negative impact on mobile workers especially construction workers
from South Basildon and East Thurrock who may use hotels and B&Bs whilst
working on major projects out of the the area.
Commenting, Stephen Metcalfe MP said: “I’m very concerned
about Labour’s plans to hammer hard-working people with a new tax. This will
not only make it more expensive for my constituents to holiday at home, adding
approximately £126 extra to the cost of a two week stay in a reasonably priced
hotel, but it will seriously affect those utilising local hotels for their work
in South Basildon and East Thurrock or those working out of the area.
This is therefore not just a holiday tax but a workers tax and I am extremely
pleased that this Conservative Government will be opposing it at every
available opportunity.”
